


Perdita

by dirkygoodness



Series: Perdita & Related Works [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Canon Disabled Character, Coruscant, Force Inhibitor, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Murder, Night Terrors, Nightmares, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Abuse, Rating will change, Sith, Sith AU, Sith Anakin, Sith Obi-Wan, Slavery, Unhealthy Relationships, Violence, War, essentially what might have happened if Qui-Gon died sooner, minor sith ocs for plot, my take on a sith au, people die
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-18
Updated: 2019-01-23
Packaged: 2019-04-04 10:08:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 21,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14017938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dirkygoodness/pseuds/dirkygoodness
Summary: “Darth Callidus, I see you made it out of your mission unharmed.”“As always, Lord Sidious.” Obi-Wan responded.----Obi-Wan takes Anakin as his apprentice. Love, betrayal, war, and murder ensue.





	1. Found You

**Author's Note:**

> and here it is, like i promised - my second long obikin fic! i really wanted to try writing my own sith au so here it is!
> 
>  
> 
> Message me here or on my art/fic tumblr @dirkysshitdraws if you have any questions!

Obi-Wan’s not here to buy slaves. No, he’s looking for something else. He’d felt it after dealing with an unruly Jedi. It hadn’t been the most fulfilling of fights, but he doesn’t mind dealing with the last dregs of the Jedi forces. They do so ever try to fight back, even when they’re no more than half-trained Jedi fledglings. Nothing compared to the Knights Obi-Wan had faced, but, well, they’re all dead, aren’t they? Not to mention this one hadn’t even had a _‘saber._

His eyes scan the crowd; there’s mostly pigs, looking to buy their next body so they don’t have to do the work themselves. While Obi-Wan isn’t going to do anything to stop the slavery, that doesn’t mean he has to like it. Really, it’s a boorish practice - leaves too much chance for unrest, a revolt. If you tell someone you’re going to kill them for long enough, but never follow through, eventually the threat wears thin.

Much easier to eradicate any resistance and let everyone else follow under a controlled mixture of fear and respect. Much less chance of a revolt that way. Though it’s not like the slaves could even put a dent in the Empire's forces. There’s not enough slaves in the galaxy to pose a threat to them, not with how badly they’re treated. Pity. Obi-Wan hates unfair fights. They’re boring.

Obi-Wan drags his eyes to the front of the crowd, where a long platform stands - no doubt used to show off the slaves that’re being sold. Obi-Wan doesn’t feel anyone in the crowd that gives off the sheer, raw power he’d felt before. They were little more than blind to the force for as much power as they gave off. But the source of what he’d felt _was_ here, somewhere.

Skirting on the outskirts of his senses; not necessarily hiding, more so that it was moving, never in one place for long. Obi-Wan couldn’t put a specific thing to the source of the power. Was it a thing or a _person?_ It was hard to tell, currently. No matter. He’d find it, sooner or later. There was a shout to his right, Obi-Wan turning his head in time to see the slaves being brought up to the platform. Their arms were bound, legs chained to each other with heavy looking shackles.

Most were species and races he was unfamiliar with, or didn’t care enough of to remember their names, though one slave did catch his eye. A young blond human, caught between two ugly looking reptilian men. His hair was as wild as his eyes, blue and filled with hate, and Obi-Wan felt the force _shake_ around him.

Obi-Wan squinted his eyes. So, the source of the power was a _slave_ boy? Such raw, pure connection to the force Obi-Wan felt within him, but locked away tightly. That’s when he spotted the collar around his neck, whereas the other slaves Obi-Wan sensed had chips implanted in them. He looked the collar over carefully. It, for all intents and purposes, would appear to be a shabby leather collar, but Obi-Wan could make out the trace signs of a force inhibitor.

Shoddy one, at best, Obi-Wan suspected the slave most likely was held back more by being told the inhibitor stopped his powers more so than actually being able to. Sure, it probably did for a while, but this slave’s power would have grown, and grown, and now was stronger than Obi-Wan had ever felt before.

“Low stakes first, these are primarily overstock. Most are murderers or wild, so you’ll get a handful, but they’re priced cheap.” A particularly rodent-esk looking woman hisses to the crowd, waving her arm dramatically to point to the stairs that lead up onto the platform.

Obi-Wan hummed to himself, moving carefully through the crowd, following the ten or so others who made their way up the stairs. Obi-Wan took his time, careful to make it seem like he was simply perusing the options, didn’t want to give the slavers any ideas he had his eyes set on any one in particular. Eventually he did make his way to the boy, stopping in front of him. To his surprise the boy, this close, is very clearly taller than Obi-Wan - even though he looks physically weak.

On his shirt there was a tag, stating his height (six feet, not much taller than Obi-Wan), sex, and a number; most likely for stock keeping, organization of wares so nothing got lost. Obi-Wan had seen it before. The boy is staring him down, intent on watching Obi-Wan just as much as Obi-Wan is at looking at him. It’s almost amusing, in a way. Beside him the slaver woman comes up, grinning widely at him. Obi-Wan rolls his eyes, but turns his head to her.

“Got your eye on something?” She questions, and Obi-Wan debates whether to play along with her or not. After a moment he shrugs, a smile slipping onto his face easily.

“Just looking. This one’s human, only one of the stock here.”

“You prefer humans, eh? They’re too short lived for my taste, but to each their own.” She cocks her hip, planting a hand firmly against it. “Though, I’d reconsider that one. I’m supposed to be selling these shits, and even I don’t wanna know the sorry son of a bitch that goes home with this one.”

“Oh?” Obi-Wan asks smoothly, turning back to the slave. He’s looking between Obi-Wan and the slaving woman, expression not having shifted from his earlier leer. The woman grunts.

“See the collar ‘round his neck? Force inhibitor. This one’s feisty, and is ‘one with the force’ or whatever.” Obi-Wan raises an eyebrow, pretending to be surprised. With smooth ease he grips the slave’s chin, tilting his head upwards to look him in the eye. The boy, for his part, looks like he wants to bite Obi-Wan’s hand off. Obi-Wan likes this kid.

“How much?” Obi-Wan purrs, eyes dragging back to the woman. She looks taken off guard for a moment, before clearing her throat. She pulls out a chart, strapped onto her belt, sifting through the pages for a moment.

“Four hundred credits,” She says, dropping the papers back down onto the clipboard. Obi-Wan snorts. Trivial. Though wholly overpriced. He _could_ just use the force, have her simply give him the slave, but where’s the fun in that? Obi-Wan cocks his head, smile dropping from his lips as he pretends to look the slave over.

“Really now? He’s _hardly_ worth four hundred. I could get a slave that wouldn’t try and kill me for that price.” Obi-Wan grabs the boy's chin again, though this time it’s with the cold callous of any other buyer here. “And look at him, he’s hardly been kept in good condition, now has he? I doubt he’s seen a haircut in years, let alone a _bath._ Face is scarred. You expect me to pay full price for the bottom of the barrel?”

“What price did you have in mind, then?” The slaver hisses, clearly annoyed. It only serves to make Obi-Wan’s budding amusement grow. It’s so easy to toy with others even without the force. Child’s play, really. He makes a thoughtful noise, shrugging.

“Half his weight?”

“ _Hardly!”_ The woman shrieks, crossing her arms. “I’ve got a business to run here, you. I’ll not be handing out practical _freebies_ anytime soon.” She snarls, snout uncomfortably close to Obi-Wan’s face. He resists the urge to gag at her breath.

“Alright. His whole weight, plus another fifty credits, no more no less.” Obi-Wan makes to look put off. Make it seem realistic that he’s getting the worse end of the deal, though he’s played the woman easily. He hasn’t even lifted a finger either. The woman thinks for a long moment, running her chin as she does. Finally she shrugs, toothy grin cracking across her muzzle.

“Sure, alright. Like I said, he’s dangerous. We’re happy to be rid of him.” It’s a hundred and ninety-four credits, in the end, and Obi-Wan makes note for himself to remember to get the kid’s weight up.

He hands the woman the money, and she bends down and unlocks the chains that hold the slave’s legs together. Obi-Wan takes the boys arm. He knows he could catch him if he tried to flee, but he’s not really in the mood for a chase right now. He thanks the slaver, before leading the boy down the stairs and through the crowd, the city, towards his ship.

The boy is silent, head dropped down, face hidden in a shadow of his hair. Obi-Wan would push his locks back if he didn’t think he’d get bitten for it. Right now he wants to get the kid on his ship and take the force inhibitor off him, see what he can do. Though, perhaps not. For all he knows the kid could crush his ship like an empty tin can. Maybe he’ll wait until they’re landed.

Obi-Wan’s almost vibrating at the potential power he’s found. He wonders if they’ll let him train the boy. He’s _much_ older than any Jedi would even consider training, but it’s not like Obi-Wan’s got those sort of reservations. Though, he doesn’t know his exact age, but he’s at least seventeen. Besides, he wants to be on the kids good side. Best way to do that is be his master. Obi-Wan sees his ship in sights, only a few yards off, and it’s only _now_ that the slave boy decides to talk.

“That’s a big ship,” He says, voice almost amazed, and Obi-Wan smirks.

“Hardly. You should see my other one,” Obi-Wan tips his head, glancing at the boy sideways for a reaction. To his dismay the boy’s only lifted his head a fraction, and Obi-Wan can only see his eyes. Not too bad. The kid’s got nice eyes. Still, not the reaction he’d hoped for. Obi-Wan tugs on his arm, leading him up the ramp and into the ship. A droid turns to him, greeting him the second they’re inside. Obi-Wan forgets what his number was again. Doesn’t matter.

“Get the ship up in the air and set a course for Coruscant, thank you,” Obi-Wan tips his head to the droid, before turning and leading the slave towards his quarters for some privacy. Once they’re in his room Obi-Wan pushes the boy towards a chair and letting his arm go, Obi-Wan stipping off his cloak and tossing it haphazardly across his desk.

Obi-Wan leans up against the wall as the slave stumbles, off balance with his arms tied behind his back and - Obi-Wan squints. His right arm is cut off just over the elbow, badly bandaged - the wound doesn’t seem to be fresh, and Obi-Wan doesn’t smell blood. It was probably covered because it was ugly. Either way, that slaver overcharged him. It’s not like it’s a big setback though. Obi-Wan can easily get him fitted for a prosthetic. Obi-Wan waits until the boy’s sitting down before he nods, gesturing to the collar around his neck.

“Do you know what that’s for?” Obi-Wan asks, raising his eyebrows as he looks down his nose at the boy. The boy stares at him for a good minute before responding.

“Keeps me from attacking people.” Anakin says, voice dry.

“It’s a force inhibitor. It keeps you from using the _force.”_ Obi-Wan moves to him, now, noticing the way he flinched back on instinct as he does. Interesting. Obi-Wan drops to a knee, down to eye level with the slave.

“Do you want me to take it off?” His voice is just a whisper, soft and gentle. Breeding trust. The boy’s eyes double in size and his mouth drops open. Obi-Wan grins. That’s the kind of reaction he was hoping for.

“Will you?” The boy questions him, almost hesitant, but he can’t conceal the hope in his voice. Not to mention he’s bleeding his emotions out of him and into the room, _hurtscaredconfusedquestioning._ Obi-Wan will have to teach him to control that.

“I see no reason to keep it on. Though, I do have one condition.” Obi-Wan holds up a finger, a wicked smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. The boy eyes him warily for a moment.

“What is it?”

“Tell me your name,” Obi-Wan says, sweet as honey.

“Anakin,” He replies, without hesitation. Oh, Obi-Wan _really_ likes this kid. Obi-Wan moves to unclasp the inhibitor, eyes trained on Anakin’s face for any potential change. Anakin swallows hard, his eyes boring holes into Obi-Wan’s shoulder, but he doesn’t give any other reaction.

Obi-Wan hums, unlatching the clasp that’s holding the collar closed. It’s surprisingly easy. He’s amazed at how feeble a hold these slavers had over Anakin’s powers. Obi-Wan pulls back, collar dangling from his fingers as he smiles down at Anakin. Anakin lets out a quiet but astonished gasp.  

“There, all done.” Obi-Wan hums, eyeing the newly exposed skin at Anakin’s neck. It’s slightly lighter than the rest of him, clear indication that it’s been on for a while now. The discoloration makes him look a little odd, but no matter. His tan will soon spread now that the collar is off. Anakin stares at the collar, mouth hanging open slightly. Obi-Wan snorts.

“You’ll be eating flies, at that rate,” Obi-Wan pushes his jaw shut with the back of his hand, turning to stand. He tosses the collar onto his desk, making his way over to it slowly.

“Are you going to untie me?” Anakin asks, straining against the rope that’s keeping his arm and… stump in place. Obi-Wan looks at him from the corner of his eye, shrugging.

“Why would I? You should be able to untie yourself now.” Obi-Wan drops down against his desk, grabbing a gaudy looking blue glass paper weight, tossing it only to catch it again. He lets his head loll to the side, watching Anakin with lazy interest.

Anakin frowns, glaring at Obi-Wan. His hair's falling into his face as he once again strains against the ropes. Obi-Wan waits. It takes four solid minutes of Anakin struggling before he lets his shoulders sag, an exasperated growl punching out of his chest. He turns to look at Obi-Wan now, scowling like it’ll somehow get him untied. Obi-Wan raises his eyebrows expectantly, tossing the ball again. It’s another minute before Anakin breaks eye contact with a defeated sigh.

“I can’t untie myself.”

“Sure you can,” Obi-Wan encourages, grinning for all he’s worth. “You just have to _try.”_ Anakin’s head snaps up, squinting his eyes. He looks confused and more than a little annoyed.

“What? I _am_ trying.” Anakin emphasises this fact by pulling on the ropes again. “What is this? Some kind of sick game? Do you take pleasure in watching your slaves struggle to get free when you know very well that they _can’t?”_

“Oh, please,” Obi-Wan rolls his eyes, setting the orb down back where it belongs. “Give me a _little_ credit. What would I gain from watching you make an ass out of yourself? Besides, you’re not my slave. You’re free to go whenever you like.” Anakin’s mouth drops open in shock and he stops struggling long enough to level a _look_ at Obi-Wan.

“What?”

“Was I not clear enough? Here, I’ll repeat.” Obi-Wan clears his throat, leaning forwards and staring Anakin dead on. “You aren’t my slave. You’re free to leave.”

“Why would you buy me only to set me free?” Anakin is looking at Obi-Wan like he’s got two heads.

“Why buy you if _not_ to set you free? It’s not like I’ve got a dying need for a force sensitive slave with one arm.” Obi-Wan sighs, dropping his head back to stare at the ceiling. “You can leave anytime you want, Anakin. Though, I suppose if you _really_ don’t want out of those ropes, I’m not going to judge you.” As soon as he says it Anakin doubles his efforts of getting out, growling in frustration. Obi-Wan had to turn his face away, pressing the back of his hand to his mouth to conceal his laughter.

Obi-Wan lets him try for a little while longer, partly out of amusement really. He finally stands back up when Anakin starts to bleed real _anger_ , the force shimmering in frustration. Anakin doesn’t seem to be able to effectively channel his power as he is now, otherwise the ropes would have been off long before now.

As he moves it effectively cuts off Anakin’s efforts as he looks up to Obi-Wan, and the force freezes - his attention changed, his concentration and emotion placed elsewhere, Anakin’s hold on the force dies. It’s clearly out of lack of skill, rather than power. Obi-Wan moves back over to Anakin, once again kneeling down in front of him. He doesn’t say anything for a moment, instead watching Anakin’s face closely. He doesn’t really seem to know how to school his expression either.

“I’ll make you a deal,” Obi-Wan says softly, eyeing Anakin with a sort of detachment. Anakin doesn’t say anything, but his eyes narrow in response. “If you agree to come with me and… _meet_ someone _,_ then I’ll cut the ropes.”

“Meet someone?” Anakin asks skeptically, leaning back a fraction. “Who?”

“A friend of mine. Well, no. I actually rather hate him, but he’s in charge for whatever that’s worth. All you have to do is go meet him and he’ll decide if you’re worth training.” Obi-Wan shrugs like it’s nothing, like meeting Sidious isn’t going to be hell for Anakin _and_ for Obi-Wan. Sidious is a snake of a man and while Obi-Wan enjoys manipulation, Sidious angles for perfect control. Boring, for one - and hardly sporting either.

Obi-Wan would probably have killed him by now if he cared enough to put in the effort of actually doing it. Anakin raises an eyebrow, jerking his head to get hair out of his eyes. It fails spectacularly, and Obi-Wan snorts and reaches a hand up to push his hair behind his ear. Anakin flinches back hard - though not far, as he’s already leaning back as far as the chair allows.

Obi-Wan hesitates for a fraction of a second, wondering if Anakin might _actually_ bite him. He pushes Anakin’s bangs behind his ear with a gentleness that’s clearly foreign to Anakin. They stare at each other for a long beat, the only sound the quiet hum of the engines and Anakin’s quick breathing. Finally Obi-Wan tilts his head and speaks.

“Well?”

“I - sure, whatever. I’ll meet your not-friend.” Anakin seems skeptical still, though Obi-Wan senses no deceit in his words. Obi-Wan nods, standing back up with a sigh. Anakin’s mouth opens on a protest, obviously thinking Obi-Wan’s _not_ going to live up to his word. Which is preposterous - when Obi-Wan says he’ll do something, he always follows through.

He waves his hand dismissively, reaching out with the force to cut the ropes down the middle. They fall to the ground with hardly a sound just as Obi-Wan makes it back to his desk. He moves around behind it this time, dropping down into his chair. Anakin’s mouth stays open in surprise, a startled noise escaping him as his arm goes slack beside him. He glances back towards Obi-Wan, who watches him out of the corner of his eye, putting one leg up against his desk so he can spin himself slowly back and forth.

_“Wh-_ how did you?”

“My _goodness_ you’re a slow learner,” Obi-Wan chuckles, watching Anakin closely as he stands and moves cautiously around the room. Anakin is watching him with equal interest. “It’s the _Force.”_

“And it can be used… like that?” Anakin waves his hand, pacing back and forth like a caged animal. In a way Obi-Wan supposes he is, has been for most of his life - whatever amount of it he’s been a slave. Though he was probably born into it. Obi-Wan hums, pushing his hair up out of his face.

“Of course. That was hardly anything. I can do _much_ more.”

“And you’re telling me I have it? That I can - can _use_ this ‘ _Force’?”_ Anakin seems more than a little skeptical, but it doesn’t deter Obi-Wan.

“A very ineloquent way of putting it, but yes.” Obi-Wan leans back in his chair a little, waving his hand dismissively. “I told you about the _Force_ inhibitor, the collar that was around your neck. I could sense power in you, held together by that horrid device.” Obi-Wan shivers in mock discomfort, to emphasize his distaste of the inhibitor. Anakin stops pacing and stares at Obi-Wan for a beat, before he sucks in a sharp breath.

“That’s why you bought me? Because I’m… in touch, or whatever you call it, with the Force-”

“Force sensitive-”

“- and you, what? Wanted to see if you were right or something?” Anakin waves his hand, like he’s swatting away a fly. Obi-Wan shrugs, humming.

“Not exactly. I knew I was right - there’d have been no sense in spending money on you if it was a guess.” Obi-Wan says, and levels Anakin with a stare. Anakin stares back, mouth slack on a wordless question. “But enough of that. You look like you haven't had a bath in years. Come, let's get you cleaned up.” 

Obi-Wan leads Anakin to the ‘fresher, just down the hall from his private quarters. Anakin follows him quietly, without so much as an attempt to go running for ‘escape’ in another direction. Obi-Wan gives him credit for that, at least. Obi-Wan comes to a stop just outside, waving Anakin in before himself. Anakin eyes him skeptically - like Obi-Wan’s leading him into some kind of trap rather than the shower. Obi-Wan almost laughs. Instead, he opens the door for Anakin and rolls his eyes.

“I’m not going to bite you,” Obi-Wan waves at him to go in again. Anakin gives one last look between Obi-Wan and the ‘fresher before finally stepping inside. The light flickers to life when he does, bright white light flashing on instantly.

Anakin grunts and shields his eyes wincing, and Obi-Wan senses annoyance rolling off him. Or, rather, less _senses_ it and more Anakin is throwing his emotions in every direction so strongly Obi-Wan doubts he’d be able to ignore it if he wanted to. After the initial blinding from the light dissipates Anakin looks around, mouth dropping slack in awe.

“Holy shit,” He gasps, blinking like an owl. Obi-Wan clicks his tongue and slides into the ‘fresher behind him.

“No reason to cuss, now, Anakin. It’s just a ‘fresher.” Obi-Wan makes his way to the shower-bath combo, adjusting the water parameters to be optimal. He doubts Anakin’s had much experience with showers before - if ever. “I’ve only got a set of robes that you can borrow, but I’m sure it’ll feel much better than the dirty things you’ve got on now.” Maybe it was best to give him a bath instead. Obi-Wan plugs the tub and lets the bath fill, but after a moment of silence from Anakin he turns around to look for him.

Anakin’s standing stock still in front of the mirror, and while Obi-Wan can’t see his face he can read his body language loud and clear - even without the emotions he’s bleeding into the room. _He’s startled._ Obi-Wan stands, dusting his knees off  before he makes his way to stand behind Anakin. As he does he looks into the mirror, eyeing Anakin’s expression. His mouth is slack, eyes wide, and he’s still not moving. Obi-Wan watches him for another moment, quietly, observing Anakin with a sort of detached interest before he lifts a hand and gently touches Anakin’s shoulder. Anakin jumps, clearly startled.

“Never seen a mirror before?” Obi-Wan hums, letting his arm drop back down to his side. Anakin glares at him through the mirror for a moment.

“I’ve _seen_ a mirror before. I’ve just - I haven’t looked in one since I was nine.” Anakin confesses in a huff of breath, and Obi-Wan’s eyebrows raise in mild surprise. “Also I look like shit.” Anakin adds before Obi-Wan has a chance to speak. Obi-Wan snorts, reaching up and inspecting a piece of Anakin’s matted, dirty hair.

“Yes, you do look very bad. Hence the bath.” Obi-Wan nods his head to the tub. Anakin glances at it, nodding. Seemingly less startled about the bath than the mirror, at least. “How long have you been a slave?”

“All my life.” Anakin says, voice turning sour as he looks back to the mirror, eyes locking with Obi-Wan’s in the reflection defiantly.

“Oh? I take it that’s what bred your deep set disdain for slavery, then. How old are you?” Obi-Wan matches his stare head on, raising his eyebrows in challenge.

“I’m twenty.” Anakin replies smoothly, and Obi-Wan hums. He hadn’t actually been expecting him to be over eighteen, if he was being honest. “How old are you?” Anakin snaps back.

“I’m twenty six, if you must know. Now, come. Off with those clothes. I’m going to go toss them out the airlock.” Anakin stares at him bewildered for a moment, before turning towards the bath and stepping towards it. He casually pulls his shirt off over one shoulder with a little trouble, before letting it drop to the floor from the other.

His back, Obi-Wan instantly notices, is littered with scars of various origins. Whips, blades, burns. If Obi-Wan had been still unsure that Anakin had been treated badly, this set it into stone. Obi-Wan moves to collect his shirt as Anakin starts to slip out of his pants, Obi-Wan averting his gaze to give him some privacy. When he hears Anakin step into the bath he turns and grabs the pants just as Anakin makes a startled noise in the back of his throat.

“It’s warm.”

“Of course,” Obi-Wan replies, reaching over into a cabinet and grabbing a bottle of soap and setting it on the baths edge. “Without heat the water would freeze before we could use it.

“I’m just used to cold baths.”

“Well, I prefer warm ones.” Obi-Wan hums, turning on his heel and leaving the ‘fresher. He takes the set of worn, tattered clothes to the closest airlock and disposes of them. The less he has to hold them, the better. He wipes his hands off on his pants, making a face of disgust.

If he convinces Sidious to let him train Anakin he’s going to make sure he never goes that long without a fresh set of clothes again. Obi-Wan makes his way back to the ‘fresher, grabbing his spare set of clothes along the way. They’re nothing fancy - just simple black underclothes and a robe, Obi-Wan hadn’t exactly been planning on dressing anyone but himself today - and anything else Obi-Wan has to wear here wouldn’t fit Anakin.

Where Anakin was thin, weedy, and tall Obi-Wan was more compact, squared, and muscled in comparison. Which was to say, next to Anakin he looked short, be he was above average. Obi-Wan stepped back into the ‘fresher, humming out a greeting as he moved to the cabinets and grabbed a set of towels.

“I’ve got the clothes and some towels here, are you almost done?” Obi-Wan asked, turning back to Anakin. He comes to a stop when he sees that Anakin is just sitting there, hair still dry as when he got in, bottle of soap untouched. Obi-Wan blinks. He wasn’t expecting that. He sets the towels and clothes on the sink counter, moving to stand beside the tub.

“Why haven’t you washed yourself?” Obi-Wan asks, voice laced with exasperation. “What were you waiting for, permission?” Anakin goes rigid and he shifts.

Oh. Well. Alright then.

Obi-Wan rolls his sleeves up and grabs the soap, sitting down on the edge of the tub. Anakin jerks away from him, but he doesn’t match Obi-Wan’s gaze. Obi-Wan wonders if it’s something he learned to do himself or was made to do by one of his owners.  

“Get your hair wet,” Obi-Wan instructs instead of commenting on it, and waits patiently as Anakin leans forwards and uses his arm to pull his hair into the water. It takes a while, what with only having one arm and Anakin doing it in such an odd way. Obi-Wan would have just dunked his head, but whatever. When Anakin sits back up, hair sufficiently damp, Obi-Wan squirts some soap into his hand. Figures it’s easier to do it for Anakin than trying to have him do it one handed.

“Back to me,” Obi-Wan tells him, and Anakin turns so his legs are folded up under him, back to Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan gets to work kneading the soap into Anakin’s hair, carefully working out the knots and tangles along the way.

Anakin makes a small noise in the back of his throat, the room filling with his bleeding emotions. _Contentwarmtired._ Obi-Wan smiles, unable to resist the tug of the emotions as they try and seep into him. Obi-Wan finishes in silence, neither of them saying anything. He pushes Anakin’s shoulder lightly, urging him to sit up.

“I’m going to rinse your hair, so don’t move too much.” Obi-Wan states as he grabs the shower hose, aiming it into the water so he has time to adjust the temperature before he uses it.

“What’s that?” Anakin asks, voice laced with sleep but also careful curiosity. Obi-Wan looks over at him, smiling small.

“A shower. It’s an alternative to a bath.”

“Is it a Force thing?”

“No,” Obi-Wan laughs, moving back over to Anakin. “Tip your head back. It’s a science thing. Plumbing, mechanical bits. Nothing I’ve ever been interested in but I’m sure if you need to learn how it works you can find something on the computers back on Coruscant.” Obi-Wan puts his hand to Anakin’s forehead, shielding his face from the spray as he gets to work rinsing his hair.

“You’ll let me use a computer?” Anakin asks skeptically, squeezing his eyes shut tight. Obi-Wan hums affirmation, to which Anakin lets out a bewildered ‘huh’. When Obi-Wan deems Anakin’s hair sufficiently rinsed he shuts the water off, placing the hose back where it belongs.

“I’ve got things I need to do, I trust you can finish cleaning yourself alone?” Obi-Wan asks, more rhetorical than not as he already stands up and is heading towards the exit as Anakin speaks.

“Yeah,” Comes his quiet reply, and Obi-Wan waves to him as he leaves.

Obi-Wan makes his way back to his office, dropping down into his seat with a heavy sigh. He doesn’t give himself time to back out as he presses a button on the desk, opening a channel. After only a few moments an image flickers to life; Sidious draped in his black robes, hunched over and as dramatic as ever.

“Darth Callidus,” Came Sidious’ grating, graviled voice. “I see you made it out of your mission unharmed.”

“As always, Lord Sidious.” Obi-Wan responded, smiling diplomatically.

“And, I trust, as always, you were successful?” Sidious questioned, leaning forward. Obi-Wan nodded. 

“All the Jedi fledglings are dead. They were hardly more than flies in the end.” Obi-Wan said with a bored tone of voice, inspecting his shirt cuff like it was the most interesting thing in the world. Sidious let out a cracking, awful laugh in response. Obi-Wan had to resit the urge to wince. 

“Very good,” Sidious leaned back, his holographic frame shimmering and glitching for a moment. “Be sure to get some rest when you return.”

“Of course, my lord.” Obi-Wan bowed his head slightly in acknowledgement of the command, before clearing his throat. “I actually have found something of some… considerable interest.”

“Another one of your _promising force sensitives,_ Callidus?” Sidious snorted, sarcasm thick on his words. Obi-Wan bristled at the reminder of all the others he’d brought before Sidious who had never come back.

“Yes, actually. A young slave boy.”

“Well, then, for his sake I hope you’re right this time.” Sidious said, tone both a warning and a mock at the same time, before the line went dead and his image flickered and vanished. Obi-Wan frowned at where Sidious’ face was a moment before. He was tempted for a moment, to damn Sidious and take Anakin as his apprentice, approval or no.

He could, if he truly wished to. Nothing was technically stopping him. But - Sidious had made his first command clear after he’d started his war on the Jedi. _Bring all Force sensitives to me so that I may weed out the weak._ Some form of culling, Obi-Wan suspected. Obi-Wan didn’t exactly mind it, but for the fact all the sensitives he’d found had all been killed shortly after bringing them back to Coruscant.

Though, he supposed, if they couldn’t even pass a test with Sidious maybe it wasn’t worth having them as his apprentice. Obi-Wan sighed, running his hand down his face, just as the door to his room opened. Obi-Wan looked up through his fingers at Anakin, who stood in his doorway dressed in nothing but poorly fitted underclothes.

The shirt rode up enough to expose Anakin’s belly button, and he held the robe and towel in his hand. His hair was still soaked, and now the bandages on his arm were off. The wound looked badly taken care of, scared horribly. Obi-Wan looked him over for what was probably longer than necessary, before ushering him into the room with a wave of his hand. Anakin moved into the room, coming close to Obi-Wan’s desk but keeping enough distance between them that he could still pace across the floor if he so wished. Obi-Wan smiled.

“Did you enjoy your bath?”

“I guess,” Anakin replied, grabbing his shoulder with his hand, towel and robe pinned against his chest.

“Good!” Obi-Wan said, clapping his hands together as he stood up. “We’re almost there, so I’m going to dry off your hair for you.” Obi-Wan says, moving to stand beside Anakin. He takes the towel off of Anakin’s arm, moving behind him in the same motion.

Obi-Wan quickly dries off Anakin’s hair, pulling his fingers through any residual knots as he goes - much to Anakin’s annoyance, as he grunts and hisses anytime Obi-Wan does it. When he’s done Obi-Wan tosses the towel onto the abandoned chair Anakin had used earlier, replacing it with the robe still hanging from Anakin’s arm.

With practiced ease Obi-Wan wraps it around his shoulders, tightening it so it covers him completely - unless he sticks his arm out to grab something. Obi-Wan moves again, to stand in front of him this time, taking in Anakin. The robe is a little short, revealing Anakin’s ankles and bare feet, but beyond that he looks quite well draped in the black robe and scowling at Obi-Wan for all he’s worth.

He’d make a fine Sith.


	2. A Test

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anakin meets Sidious.

It’s late afternoon on Coruscant when they get there, and the air is an unpleasant mix of muddy heat and humidity. Obi-Wan ushers Anakin off the ship, keeping a hand on his back until they’re off the ramp. Just as they step off of it though, Anakin stops and makes a face like he’s drowning. 

There’s a surge in his emotions, surprise and awe mixed together. Obi-Wan raises an eyebrow at him, but doesn’t comment - he’s too busy pulling Anakin forwards to meet the three men at the end of the walkway. 

Two Dathomirians and a human, dressed in all black, one draped in a cloak similar to how Anakin was. The human - Obi-Wan doesn’t  know his name - smiles at him when they get close and it’s a little more than unsettling.   


“Darth Callidus,” One of the Dathomirians said, named something similar to Venis if Obi-Wan could remember correctly. “It’s good to see you again.” Anakin felt confused, beside him, at the use of his Sith title. Obi-Wan would have to explain that to him soon.   


“Hardly.” The second Dathomirian spoke, glaring at Obi-Wan from under his hood. Venis cast him a disapproving look.   


“Where have your manners gone, apprentice?” Venis asked, voice calm but laced with annoyance. His apprentice bowed his head and was silent.    


“Why are there so many of you here?” Obi-Wan asked instead of acknowledging the insult, eyes scanning the three Sith. “There’s only supposed to be Sidious’ apprentice here.”    


“Called to report, I’m afraid.” Venis responded sadly. “Seems my apprentice is unliked by Sidious, but there’s nothing he can do of it now.” Venis’ eyes trailed over to Anakin and narrowed. Beside him Anakin bristled at the attention.    


“Who’s he?” Venis’ apprentice asked, speaking in place of his master’s thoughts. Obi-Wan eyed him for a moment. 

He was short, skinny, and Obi-Wan doubted he had much training yet. Youthful, maybe, and full of confidence, but not skilled. Obi-Wan smirked and let his shoulders relax. The boy wasn’t even an inkling of a threat. Venis frowned.    


“I assume you’re being sent back to your stationed planet?” Obi-Wan asked, running his hand over his beard absently. “I think you’d be best leaving, then, or risk calling more of Lord Sidious’  _ attention  _ to you.” The pair stiffened, clearly upset by what he’d said, but neither of them spoke. 

Obi-Wan had indeed struck a chord, then, and he wondered what Sidious’ might have said to the two of them. They shared a look, hesitating for only a moment, before bowing their heads to Obi-Wan as they left. 

Beside him Anakin turned his head, following the Dathomirians as they left. He was bleeding anger and distrust into the force. The human, though, didn’t leave, only smiled wider at Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan watched the human for a moment, neither of them speaking. 

There was a sense of unease brewing within Obi-Wan at the way the other man just stared at him, silently, grinning from ear to ear. He was only a little shorter than Obi-Wan, with short cropped black hair. His eyes were a bright yellow.    


“Master is waiting for you,” The man finally spoke, voice low and grating and not unlike Sidious’ own, turning on his heel and walking towards the doors leading inside. Obi-Wan startled at the use of the term Master for a moment, before waving Anakin to follow as he moved into step behind the man.   


“What happened to his other apprentice?” Obi-Wan asked cautiously. The man opened the doors and glanced at Obi-Wan over his shoulder.   


“An accident.” He almost purred out, and Obi-Wan straightened. So, he’d killed him then. 

_ Not that long ago, either,  _ Obi-Wan mused silently. He’d just spoken to Sidious’ last apprentice no more than two weeks ago. Anakin came up to walk beside him, the both of them falling into step as Sidious’  _ new  _ apprentice lead them towards his room. 

Obi-Wan could feel Anakin itching to ask him about the others, but was keeping stubbornly silent. Again Obi-Wan wondered if it was self-imposed or forced upon my by his owners.   


“They’re Sith,” Obi-Wan said, in response to his unspoken inquiry. Anakin looked down at him in surprise. “Like me.”   


“You’re a Sith?” Anakin was clearly startled, evident in his tone alone. Obi-Wan nodded, folding his arms across his chest. “I didn’t know there were so many of them.” 

“There’s quite a few of us. Used to be a rule of only two at a time, but after Sidious’ and - after Sidious wiped out the Jedi, he changed it. Wanted more disciples, I suppose.  _ Only two to a planet.  _ He doesn’t want us fighting with ourselves and killing each other when we could be killing Jedi.” Obi-Wan answered dryly, frowning.

_ I don’t like that he called those two here when he knew I was coming back. What game is he playing at this time? It was possible it was a show of power - to warn me not to take Anakin without permission. No doubt Venis’ apprentice is going to get killed. But why send his new apprentice to fetch them? It’s not like I don’t know how to get to him by myself. _

“And that guys eyes?” Anakin asked, voice dropping to a whisper.    


“It’s a sign of the dark side. You learn to control when they look like that, so either he’s fairly new or he just doesn't care. Either is just as likely. It’s not like we have to hide who we are anymore.” Obi-Wan shrugged as they came to a stop, Sidious’ apprentice stopping at a large set of dual doors. 

He looked back at Obi-Wan, standing in front of the door for a long, unpleasant moment before he threw the doors open with a Force push and stepped inside. Anakin jumped at the action, but didn’t say anything. Instead he was eyeing everything around him cautiously. Obi-Wan moved to follow the apprentice, stepping into Sidious’ chambers. 

Really it was more like a throne room at this point - ornaments and Jedi relics he kept as trophies littered around the room in a gaudy display of power. He himself sat atop a set of stairs, in a large stone chair draped in dark fabric. 

The apprentice ran up the steps like an excited child, stopping only to kneel at Sidious’ feet. Sidious placed a hand on his head in greeting, before turning his eyes to Obi-Wan.   


“Callidus, welcome.” Sidious hissed out, and instantly Obi-Wan felt Anakin’s anger and hate explode beside him - focused entirely on Sidious.  _ Guess he doesn’t like him.  _ Sidious couldn’t have missed it even if he was trying, but he didn’t say anything - only indication he knew was his eyes skittering over Anakin’s frame for the briefest of moments.    


“I see you have a new apprentice.” Obi-Wan responded, too curious not to say anything. Sidious laughed, and pulled his apprentice to his feet.    


“As it would seem, do you.” Sidious smiled slyly. 

_Not really what I wanted to know,_ Obi-Wan frowned, _he sure does like playing games._   


“He’s not my apprentice yet,” Obi-Wan corrected. “You prefer to approve of them before they’re taken on.” Obi-Wan moved a fraction closer, Anakin following with harsh steps behind him. Sidious’ eyes shone with acknowledgement.    


“We can’t have the weak calling themselves Sith, using others strength as excuse for lack of power?” He laughed for a moment, before sitting forwards. “Bring him to me.” Sidious commanded, opening his hand to Obi-Wan in beckoning. 

Sidious’ apprentice moved to stand beside his chair. Obi-Wan bowed his head slightly, before turning to Anakin. Anakin looked at him, then back to Sidious for a moment. The hate was evident in his eyes, but he moved forwards when Obi-Wan inclined his head towards Sidious’. 

Anakin would at the least follow through with their bargain, and at the most become his apprentice. Obi-Wan strengthened his shields in the same moment that he felt a swell of excitement at the prospect of taking such a gifted Force sensitive as his apprentice.  _ The things they could do together.  _

Anakin climbed the stairs slowly, glaring at Sidious’ the whole way. Sidious’ apprentice glared right back at him in return. Finally Anakin came to a stop before Sidious’ feet, and Obi-Wan clenched his hands at his sides. Every other Force user he’d brought back had been killed here, at Sidious’ hands.  _ Always the same way.  _ He hoped Anakin passed Sidious’ test.    


“Let me see you,” Sidious hissed through his teeth, and grabbed Anakin’s head before Anakin had a chance to react. The Force swelled up around them, pulsing in response to Sidious’ call as he forced himself into Anakin’s mind. 

To read what he saw, to decide if Anakin had the potential to be what Sidious wanted. Anakin’s body went limp, and he was held up solely by the hold Sidious’ had on him. Obi-Wan took a sharp breath. He didn’t know what Sidious’ was seeing, couldn’t begin to guess what he was doing to Anakin - but even as the urge to stop him rose, he didn’t move. Sidious’ apprentice was staring right at him. 

From this angle Obi-Wan couldn’t see Anakin’s face, only the back of his head, but Sidious was grinning with mirth as he leered on. There was silence, nothing but the tension of the room to focus on. Obi-Wan read nothing from Anakin, couldn’t sense that anything was happening - for all intents and purposes he appeared unconscious. 

_ Maybe he isn’t as strong as I thought,  _ came a frail thought from the back of Obi-Wan’s mind. And then, there was a great swell of the Force, similar to when Sidious had called to it a moment before but - stronger, more potent and darker than anything Obi-Wan had ever seen before. Burning hatred exploded into the air around them, so strong it knocked the breath from Obi-Wan for a moment.   


_ “Get out!”  _ Anakin roared, and Sidious jerked his hand back like he’d been burned. Anakin dropped to the floor, unconscious for real this time, and Obi-Wan took an instinctive step forwards in response before he managed to reel himself in. Sidious laughed, then, loud and excited, his apprentice looking between him and Anakin nervously.    


“Promising,  _ promising.”  _ Sidious cooed, shaking his hand, flexing it as if to test he could still feel it. “He pushed me out in the end.” Sidious turned to Obi-Wan, eyes hooded by  his cloak now but Obi-Wan could feel them burning into him.    


“Did he… pass?” Obi-Wan asked hesitantly, eyes flicking down to where Anakin lay for a second. Sidious hummed in response.   


“Oh, yes. He passed. Take him as your apprentice, Callidus. I am eager to see what he might become.” Sidious sat back in his chair, and Obi-Wan let out a heavy breath.  _ Finally.  _

Obi-Wan raised his hand, lifting Anakin with the Force in the same motion and bringing Anakin to him. When he was in reach Obi-Wan dropped him into his arms, grunting with the sudden weight. It really was hardly any trouble to hold him, though. He’d been underfed for quite some time now.    


“Rest here for the night,” Sidious said, as Obi-Wan began walking towards the exit. “Leave in the morning. I’m sure you could resupply before returning to your planet.” Obi-Wan said nothing in response, but nodded.

Obi-Wan didn’t stop until he was a good ways away from Sidious’ chambers, pausing only for a moment to address Anakin. He looked unharmed, like he was simply asleep, but when Obi-Wan pressed against his mind he could feel a whirlwind of anguish sweeping through his thoughts. No doubt caused by Sidious’. He took Anakin back to the spare rooms - kept primarily for when Sith were called into counsel with Sidious. 

He hadn’t used them in years, but he knew they’d serve as somewhere to rest until he left in the morning. He wasn’t particularly keen on staying but, with a command from Sidious, he didn’t have much choice. The building was almost entirely empty, save for a few droids he spotted on his trek down to the rooms. 

Obi-Wan almost expected Sidious’ apprentice to pop out from somewhere, but Obi-Wan knew they weren’t being followed - couldn’t feel any other presence besides his and Anakin’s anywhere near them. Obi-Wan finally reached the rooms, slipping into the first one he saw. 

The lights were off, but with a quick pull on the Force he turned them on. The room was set up plainly, a couch and coffee table in the living room in front of a large, dusty holoscreen. There were two adjoining rooms that he could see, most likely the ‘fresher and the bedroom, with the kitchen open and part of the living room. 

Obi-Wan set Anakin down on the couch, laying him on his back with his head propped up on the arm. Obi-Wan pulled the table closer, taking a seat on it so he was close to Anakin’s head. 

He placed his hand to Anakin’s forehead, and hesitantly reached towards his mind. He wasn’t very keen on a repeat of what Anakin had done to Sidious’ - whatever it had been. But almost instantly Obi-Wan felt sharp, unbearable stinging pain crack across his temple so potent he jerked his head away in response, pulling away from Anakin’s consciousness in the same moment. 

Anakin’s emotions rose in response, not as strong as before and muddled by sleep but Obi-Wan felt them nonetheless. He turned his gaze back down to Anakin and hummed in thought. 

_ How to approach this? Leave him to wake on his own or pull him up out of himself?  _ Both had cons. Leave him and risk him exploding out violently when he woke, or wake him and risk getting hurt in the process. Obi-Wan was loathe to hurt in either scenario, but he supposed he might as well try waking Anakin up again. 

Obi-Wan pressed back towards Anakin’s consciousness, not hesitating this time as he pressed a command to Anakin to  _ wake up.  _ It took a moment, but this time Anakin didn’t lash out at him - instead he drifted back to consciousness the same moment Obi-Wan took his hand away from his forehead. Anakin blinked, confused for a moment before his brows furrowed and he sat up.    


“Wh-”   


“Hello, Anakin.” Obi-Wan greeted, another surge of giddy anticipation welling up inside him that he quickly stamped down. “How do you feel?   


“Like that wrinkled old _ schutta  _ smacked me over the back of my head with a wrench,” Anakin growled out instantly, before freezing up and turning to Obi-Wan with a  _ look  _ that was a mix between regret and a wince. Obi-Wan considered bringing it up, but.   


“I’m not quite sure what that means, but I can almost guarantee you that I agree.” Obi-Wan says, trying to sound casual in his reassurance. “But he didn’t hit you. He was… searching your mind.  _ Testing  _ you.” Obi-Wan sits back, Anakin blinking in surprise for a moment before he narrows his eyes.   


“Testing me.”   


“Yes.”   


“What did he test me for? Did I pass?” Anakin moves, pulling his legs off the couch.    


“He was testing your potential,” Obi-Wan stands and makes his way over to the kitchen. Behind him Anakin turns around so he can watch Obi-Wan as he talks. “Trying to see how strong you were in the Force, see if you could make a good Sith.” Obi-Wan grabs his kettle from out of a cupboard, moving it under the sink so he can fill it. Anakin makes a noise behind him.   


“A Sith? He wants me to be a Sith? Or-” Anakin stops short, pausing as Obi-Wan turns the water off and sets the kettle on the stovetop. “Or  _ you  _ want me to be a Sith.”    


“Perceptive, aren’t we?” Obi-Wan says, smiling over his shoulder at Anakin.    


“I thought I was just meeting this guy. I didn’t sign up to be a Sith.” Is what Anakin  _ says _ but Obi-Wan can feel his excitement in the air around them like it's a palpable thing. Obi-Wan smirks. It won't be very hard to convince Anakin to be his apprentice. 

He grabs two cups out of the cupboard, setting them down on the counter while he waits for the water to boil. He turns, resting against it and looking at Anakin with a thoughtful expression. 

“Of course, I can't force you.” Obi-Wan says. “But - have you even considered what it'd be like, to be a Sith?” From the look on Anakin’s face he's said the right thing. He fights back a smile. 

“You'd have power and skill at your disposal, you'd be part of the strongest force in the Galaxy. You’d have anything you wanted.” 

“You set me free, I can have that without being a Sith. It's not like I need it, anyway.” Anakin responds quickly, like he’s looking for an excuse to avoid it. 

“Hmm, I suppose you're right.” Obi-Wan cocks his head to the side. “You  _ could  _ get revenge on every slave owner you've been sold too, if you were a Sith, though.” Obi-Wan says it carefully, watching his face closely for a reaction. Almost instantly Anakin’s face darkens and the air around them shakes. 

“...Go on.” Anakin says and Obi-Wan does smile this time.

“If you were a Sith,” He begins, crossing his arms over his chest. “You'd have the power to do whatever you wanted to them. I've no qualms with you doing it, either. In fact I can help. You'd become my apprentice and I'd teach you the ways of the dark side. We could do  _ whatever you wanted.”  _ Obi-Wan's essentially dangling a mouse in front of a starving cat. He waits for Anakin to bite.    


“Anything?” Anakin asks darkly.   


“Anything,” Obi-Wan confirms, grinning back.    


“Okay.” Anakin says. Obi-Wan didn’t have to wait long then. He hums, pushing himself up off the counter as he makes his way towards the bedroom. There’s always spare clothes in there of different sizes - always have to be prepared for whoever stays in the rooms. 

Anakin doesn’t move from where he is when Obi-Wan leaves, but Obi-Wan can feel his curiosity as he does. The bedroom is untouched for sometime, dust laying on the perfectly made bed like a fine layer of age. 

Obi-Wan makes his way to the closet, and searches for things suitable for Anakin. There’s not a lot in his size, but Obi-Wan manages to find a black tunic, matching pants, underclothes, and shoes. He’s not actually sure the shoes will fit, but it’s worth a shot. 

He brings them back into the living room, Anakin immediately pearking up, eyes snapping to the clothes in his hands. Obi-Wan sets them down on the coffee table.    


“These should fit you better than what you’re wearing now. When we get to my planet tomorrow, you can pick out your own wardrobe.” Obi-Wan tells him as he makes his way back over to the counter, eyeing the kettle - though he knows full well it’s not done yet, he’s made a habit of checking anyway. 

“Your planet?” Anakin asks, looking over the clothes. “You have your own planet?”    


“Well, yes. Like I said before, two Sith to a planet. The job of having two, or one, Sith on a planet is to insert dominance and be a show of power. However, it also works as a way of keeping certain sectors in our control, or even just planet based if the Emperor thinks the planet is important enough for that.”    


“The Emperor?” Anakin asked, shrugging off his robe, leaving him in his poorly fitting underclothes. 

“Oh, yes. I forgot for a moment I’ve never called him that to you. Lord Sidious fancies that name, a remnant from when the Jedi and the Republic were still in control. A title of power. He quite enjoys power, as I’m sure you noticed.” Obi-Wan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Only a few people actually can get away with calling him anything  _ other  _ than Emperor, so I suggest you stick to that name until otherwise told.” 

Anakin nodded, pulling off his shirt to replace it with the new one. Obi-Wan noted that this one fit much better, before he turned to give Anakin privacy. Obi-Wan heard some more clothes shuffling before Anakin spoke again.    


“So, how does this work, then? Do I have to say something or drink some sacrificial wine or-?”

“Sacrificial wine?” Obi-Wan laughed, turning up the heat on the burner to full. “It’s not some kind of ritual, Anakin. It’s rather simple, really. You pledge yourself to my teachings, I name you, you become my apprentice. We should do it soon, however. In fact, we can do it as soon as we drink.” 

_ In case Sidious changes his mind,  _ Obi-Wan doesn’t say, but fears with his entire being. Anakin huffs out a breath, but doesn’t say anything else. Obi-Wan opens another cupboard, looking through it for a moment before he spots some tea. 

It’s unfortunately not anything very good - he wasn’t expecting anything good. These rooms haven’t been used in a while and have the bare minimum in way of supplies. Honestly, he’s a little surprised there’s even any tea in the first place, Obi-Wan had been half expecting to go buy some from a store. He pulls the box down and grabs two bags out of it, turning around to face Anakin.    


“Do you like tea?” Obi-Wan asks, before he snaps his mouth shut as soon as he sees Anakin. Anakin’s standing up and flattening his shirt down against his chest, just having finished dressing. 

The clothes are a perfect fit, like they were made for him. He’s folded his right sleeve up so it doesn’t hang limply, and while Obi-Wan’s sure he’ll look more  _ whole  _ once he gets Anakin a prosthetic, he looks. The way he looks… it’s like he was made to wear black. He’s a little thin, a little gaunt, uncertain in his own skin, but once he gets healthy...    


“I’ve never, uh… I’ve never had tea.” Anakin says and Obi-Wan snaps out of his revere to give Anakin a pitying look as he turns back to the counter.   


“Then it’s a shame this will be your first encounter with it. This tea is rather low quality, I’m afraid. I can give you some better tea tomorrow.” Obi-Wan says as he puts the bags into the cups, just in time for the kettle to start whistling. 

He removes it from the burner and pours the water into each of the cups, and without really thinking sends the kettle to the sink with a flick of his hand. In the same motion he shuts the burner off, and as he does he can feel a sudden spike in shock and annoyance from Anakin directed at Obi-Wan having put the kettle in the sink. 

Obi-Wan cocks an eyebrow. Interesting. He almost comments on it, but like before, chooses not to. Doesn’t think it’s worth it just yet. Anakin hadn’t actually said anything after all. Instead Obi-Wan grabs the cups and turns back towards Anakin. 

Anakin’s sitting down on the couch again, but he’s watching Obi-Wan intently. Through the Force Obi-Wan can feel his curiosity, his interest, and most prominently his skepticism. It’s as though Anakin’s waiting for the trick to be called, the lie laid out in front of him. 

But for once in Obi-Wan’s life he’s not lying, which, really, comes as a surprise. Obi-Wan has had something to lie about since he’d become a Sith, be it about his interest or what he’s doing, it’s been a while since he’s told the whole truth. 

Though he supposes he’s not now, is he? Obi-Wan hands Anakin a cup with a soft ‘here’, sitting down on the coffee table once again.  Anakin moves like he’s going to take a drink and Obi-Wan reaches out, stopping him.    


“It’ll be about three minutes before it’s drinkable,” Obi-Wan says in response to Anakin’s raised eyebrow, and Anakin makes a face and leans down to sniff the tea. 

He pulls back and looks less than thrilled, but doesn’t say anything about it, just lowers his cup to rest on his leg. They fall into a tense silence for a good moment before Anakin shifts, drawing Obi-Wan’s gaze to him. His brow is furrowed and he keeps looking between his own cup and Obi-Wan’s.    


“Yes?” Obi-Wan asks, cocking his head to the side as Anakin startles. Like he hadn’t been expecting Obi-Wan to care. To bring it up.   


“I-” Anakin starts, stops, before starting again. “How does this work? Is there anything specific I have to say or do I just… agree to whatever it is you’ll show me and I get to learn how to control the ‘Force’ or whatever.”    


“Would you like to do it now?” Obi-Wan asks innocently, glancing up at Anakin as he fidgets with his cup absently. “Get it over with.” Anakin opens his mouth before snapping it shut with an audible pop. 

There’s a long pause, Anakin thinking things over. Obi-Wan watches him carefully, half-way between mock ignorance and letting slip just how excited he was to take Anakin as his apprentice. Finally Anakin makes an affirmative noise in the back of his throat and Obi-Wan smiles slow, small. 

He reaches over to Anakin, taking the cup of tea out of his fingers and setting it down beside himself. He puts his own cup beside it as he stands, moving behind the couch. Obi-Wan can feel Anakin’s eyes on him as he walks; there’s a swell in his feelings, his interest peaking. Obi-Wan comes to a stop and turns to Anakin, waving for him to join him. Anakin hesitates, frowning as he eyes Obi-Wan over. Interested, but hesitant.    


“I’m not going to hurt you,” Obi-Wan says, annoyance and impatience slipping into his tone as he rolls his eyes. That seems to kick Anakin into gear as he stands up and quickly joins Obi-Wan behind the couch. 

Obi-Wan smiles again, aiming for reassuring. The buzz that’s around Anakin calms slightly - not a lot, but enough to know he’s feeling more at ease. More  _ pliable.  _ It’s then that Obi-Wan places his hand to Anakin’s shoulder and says -   


“Kneel.” Anakin startles, his entire body jolting with surprise and his brow furrows, mouth hanging open as he shifts away from Obi-Wan. It’s so minute anyone else would have missed it.    


“What-” Anakin starts, protest and question all in one but Obi-Wan cuts him off sharply.   


“I said,” Obi-Wan pushes down on Anakin’s shoulder, tapping into the Force for added strength until Anakin’s knees buckle and he falls unceremoniously onto one. “Kneel.” There’s a spike of defiance, of anger, in the Force as he does this, and when Obi-Wan looks down at him Anakin’s glaring up at him. 

He doesn’t move though, doesn’t try and get out from under Obi-Wan’s hold. Obi-Wan pauses then, tilting his head as he runs through everything in his head. He could keep going like this and he’s sure Anakin would relent, become his student, but Obi-Wan’s also more than sure that it would breed hate in him. Hate would lead to mistrust, to aggravation, betrayal.  _ Or… _

“I hope I didn’t hurt you,” Obi-Wan says, feigning guilt as easily as he breathes. Anakin’s face slackens with surprise as he says it. “Sorry, this is just how it’s done. Bear with me?” There’s a long moment of silence, a beat, two, until Anakin is shifting until he’s resting on both his knees - clear submission - and nods.   


“Alright, yeah. Keep going.” He says it like an apology and Obi-Wan grins with it. _ Good. _ He clears his throat, bringing his hand to rest against Anakin’s forehead. Anakin makes a face,  _ of course he does,  _ but Obi-Wan doesn’t comment. 

Instead he reaches out, the strings of a bond forming on the palm of his outstretched hand. Pushes towards Anakin’s mind with it, moving to form a bridge between them. At first Anakin pulls away from him, but Obi-Wan is patient, he waits to move until Anakin is comfortable enough for him to move forwards. 

When Anakin does finally relax into it Obi-Wan moves forwards, mentally tying the strings of the bond on Anakin’s side. Makes sure they’re tight. So they won’t fail. As soon as he plants the foundation of their new bond he’s instantaneously stuck with  _ all  _ of Anakin’s feelings. 

It’s a whirlwind of hurt, pain, fear, confusion - Obi-Wan almost drowns in it and he just barely manages to slam his shields down against it. He pulls himself out of Anakin’s mind in the same moment that he’s testing their new bond, and it seems to hold. 

Obi-Wan strains with effort for a moment, keeping his shields firmly closed against the onslaught of Anakin’s mind. When Anakin finally settles down, isn’t trying to rip his way through their bond to Obi-Wan’s thoughts Obi-Wan relaxes and is able to lift  _ some  _ of his shields up. 

_ I’m going to need to keep my shields up until I can teach him how to use his own,  _ Obi-Wan muses, pulling his hand away. Anakin looks up at him, question singing through their new bond.   


“What’s that?”   


“Force bond.” Obi-Wan answers. “It makes us grow stronger, train better.” Anakin nods, though Obi-Wan can tell he doesn’t entirely understand. No matter. That’s a lesson for another day. Obi-Wan takes a breath, squares his shoulders, and clears his mind.    


“I’ll take you as my apprentice,” He says, and he feels the Force tug at him sharply as he does. “I’ll teach you the ways of the dark side, how to protect yourself, how to fight. Under my teachings you will grow and become what you’re meant to be.” 

Anakin lets out a breath, soft and shaky, and Obi-Wan knows he’s feeling the Force swirling around him. It’s almost a tangible thing, now, tendrils of energy licking at their feet. Anakin takes a deep breath, his eyes slipping shut for a fraction of a moment, and when he opens them they’re dark with feeling.    


“I pledge myself to your teachings,” Anakin says quietly, and the Force  _ sings.  _ Obi-Wan smiles with it, and this time he lets it come unhindered by restraint. 

“Then I name you, furthermore-” Obi-Wan closes his eyes this time and reaches into the Force, asking, questioning, looking for something. A name. It’s not more then a second before the Force responds, screaming the name back at him.  _ “Darth Validus.” _


	3. Routine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan gives a report.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is a time skip - this is set 1 year after Obi-Wan takes Anakin as his apprentice. think of the first two chapters as setup, and this the main story. for those interested, i will be posting a series of shorts that are set within the 1 year they're together training. 
> 
> also, forgive me if the ship/planet/droid names i came up with are bad I've not got great experience in it but I needed stuff for it lol

It’s a light, streaming in through the windows, that wakes Obi-Wan up. It’s warm and for a moment, not at all bothersome. That moment is short lived as he fully wakes up and frowns, the light blinding him as he tries to open his eyes. 

Obi-Wan rolls onto his side, his back facing the window. He contemplates going back to sleep, but the clock beside his bed reads  _ eight-fourteen  _ and it’s enough to get Obi-Wan to sit up with a tired groan. He rubs his hand down his face as he throws his legs over the side of the bed. 

He takes a moment to stretch, reaching his arms above his head until his back pops. He drops his arms to his sides, standing and moving towards his dresser for a shirt and day-slacks. As soon as he’s dressed he does up his bed, hooks his belt around his waist, and makes for the kitchen. The house is still asleep, and Obi-Wan moves silently through it with only light from the windows to guide him. 

He pauses at the door to the living room, eyes fixed on the guts of a droid spewn across the floor and completely blocking any path to his chair he normally had. Anakin’s handy work, no doubt. He must have stayed up through the night again - unable to sleep, considering Obi-Wan doesn’t remember it being there when he went to bed yesterday. He frowns and adds cleaning to the list of things for Anakin to do today. 

When he finally gets to the kitchen there's another droid, fully intact and functional this time, wiping down the counters. Obi-Wan forgets droid model and numbers easily, but he recognizes this one as a servant droid Anakin had recently found. 

Their full title is K-4-8, but Obi-Wan has taken to calling them K for short. K hasn’t ever corrected him, so Obi-Wan’s not felt a need to try and change it. K gives a greeting chirp as he comes in, Obi-Wan nodding in return as he makes his way to the cupboard. Just as he reaches for the cabinet K beeps again, signaling his attention.

“Your tea is on the other counter, by the ‘fresher. It’s got about a minute to go before it’s done steeping.” They inform him softly, and Obi-Wan smiles and nods. He looks around for a moment before, sure enough, he spots not one - but _two_ cups of tea by the ‘fresher, still steaming. 

“Thank you, K. I keep forgetting you’re here in the mornings.” Obi-Wan says as he makes his way to the tea, K giving him a sort of humming laugh as they return to cleaning. 

Obi-Wan moves his tea, setting it down on a cup mat on the island. He looks up at the wall clock, checking the time again.  _ Eight-sixteen.  _ Obi-Wan doesn’t want to be late today, he’s got a meeting with Sidious. He hasn’t checked in for about a month and is far past due - he’d just not had a lot of free time recently.  There’d been a few attempts at revolt here on his planet that he and Anakin had had to squash. He’s going to have to give a full report, and that’ll take at least eight hours. 

Obi-Wan moves to sit at a stool, and just as he does he senses a presence nearby and looks up just in time to see Anakin shuffle his way into the kitchen. He’s got loose fitting sleep pants, a frumpy, even looser long sleeved nightshirt, and a pair of mismatched socks on to top it off. His hair is wild, clumped in knots that’ll take a while to get out, and dark circles under his eyes. Clear evidence of another sleepless night. 

Obi-Wan isn’t entirely sure what keeps Anakin up, but the few times he’d asked - or looked too far into his mind - Anakin had implied nightmares. Never went into detail, and while Obi-Wan was curious, he wanted to see how long Anakin would wait to tell him what it was about.    


“Good morning, Anakin,” He says, sitting down. “Late night?”   


“I was repairing one of the ship droids.” Anakin grunts in reply, dropping down heavily onto the opposite stool to him. 

“Which ship?” Obi-Wan questions as he eyes his tea. It hasn’t quite been a minute yet, but it’s growing more enticing by the second.    


“The red one. With the weird med-droid.” Anakin says dismissively, waving his hand lazily. He looks like he’s fighting to keep his eyes open.

“Well, you’ll be needing to put it back together. You’ve made a mess of the living room.”   


“I can’t put it back together, it’s still broken.” Anakin says, and when Obi-Wan raises an eyebrow he purses his lips. “I never said I fixed it.”   


“Either way, get the room cleaned.” Obi-Wan tells him, tone not leaving room for argument. He stands back up for a moment, going back to the counter and grabbing the other cup of tea.

“Yes, Master,” Anakin says, exasperation clear in his tone, but resigned. For once he doesn’t protest, and Obi-Wan suspects it has something to do with the fact that he just woke up.  Obi-Wan sets the cup down on another mat, sliding it across the table to Anakin. Anakin, in turn, frowns and looks into the cup. 

“More tea?” 

“Teas good for you,” Obi-Wan answers, sitting back down. “Besides, I thought you liked white tea.”

“I said it wasn’t the  _ worst  _ tea you’ve made me drink.” Anakin pushes the tea away from him with a huff. 

“Wasting a perfectly good tea?” Obi-Wan questions, eyeing the cup where Anakin’s pushed it. There’s a pull of guilt through the Force that Obi-Wan can sense coming from him, but Anakin just lets his face go neutral and crosses his arms. 

A battle of will, then. Neither of them say anything for a long moment, just staring at each other. Waiting for the other to break first. The only noise is K cleaning, the occasional humm of their internal mechanisms. Obi-Wan is starting to wonder how long Anakin will hold out this time, until finally he groans and pulls the cup back. 

“Good,” Obi-Wan smiles triumphantly before turning to K. “Has it been a minute yet?”   


“Yes.” K responds without looking up from the counter, and Obi-Wan grabs his cup, bringing his tea up to his lips. The cup is comfortingly warm in his hands, and when he inhales the smell of the tea is pleasantly sweet. Obi-Wan blows on it softly for a moment, before taking a long, slow drink. 

There’s just a hint of peach and vanilla, just mild enough not to conflict with each other, and Obi-Wan wonders where K picked up this particular brew. Usually when Obi-Wan makes it he uses a more herbal blend, but the sweetness is a welcome surprise. He makes a pleased hum as he sets the cup back down onto the table.

Just as he does Obi-Wan spots Anakin rolling his eyes across the table. Obi-Wan raises an eyebrow and flicks his unoccupied hand, tugging on Anakin’s hair with the Force. Not enough to actually hurt him, but enough to be an annoyance. Anakin makes an undignified squawk, startled more than anything else.

“That’s very rude, Anakin. Go get ready, we’ve got a busy day today.” Obi-Wan says, amused at the way Anakin glares at him across the table and rubs the back of his head. 

“That hurt.” Anakin complains, but he’s moving to stand anyway. “What’re we doing today thats so important?”

“I’ve got a meeting with the Emperor today, which means you’ll be doing all the city rounds while I’m gone.” Obi-Wan says, taking another drink from his cup. Anakin makes a face but doesn’t say anything else, rounding the corner and going out of Obi-Wan’s line of vision. 

Obi-Wan takes the time alone to take a calming, readying moment to help prepare him for the rest of the day. He closes his eyes, letting the world around him slip away as he lets himself feel the Force around him. One thing he’d never really lost when he’d left the Jedi had been his fondness for meditation. 

It helped him steady himself, get centered. He could, at once, feel exactly where K was in the room, feel the weight of his ‘saber at his hip, while also being completely isolated within himself. It was almost lonely. 

When he finally opens his eyes again Anakin is standing in front of him, donned in black robes, pants, and dark brown boots - his hair is still a mess, Obi-Wan notes. His arms are behind his back and his head dropped down, eyes on the floor, as he waits for Obi-Wan to be done. Anakin had slowly started to do this, as a routine, over the year they’d been together. 

At first when Obi-Wan meditated Anakin stayed as far away from him as possible, even if he needed something. Then, slowly, he gradually started moving closer to him. It started out with Anakin across the room, standing in the doorway. 

Then he moved to a spot in a far corner of the room, to a few feet closer, and so on. Anakin had never tried to talk to him or bring him out of his meditation, and Obi-Wan was grateful. He never reacted well when pulled from a trance unwillingly. Obi-Wan shifts out of his resting position, the noise drawing Anakin’s eyes up to his face immediately. 

“How long will you be in council with the Emperor?” Anakin asks as soon as there eyes lock, eager as always to be a part of some action - be it real or perceived. Obi-Wan stood, stretching his back and reaching his arms up as he did.

“Most of the day, I’m sure.” Obi-Wan drops his arms back down with a groan. “I suspect he’ll want a detailed report of everything that we’ve done. And a progress report of your training, no doubt.” Anakin makes a face caught between disgust and annoyance, halfway restrained. 

At least he’d attempted to hide it this time. Obi-Wan moves past Anakin, who follows hot on his heels, and heads for the door. Obi-Wan grabs his cloak, slipping his shoes on, and heads outside. As soon as he is Obi-Wan takes a deep breath, closing his eyes as he does. 

The air is warm, humid, and there’s a dampness to the air as he’s sure it will rain later. As he opens his eyes again he sees the wide expanse of flat grassland between their home and the city - no more than two miles, if that. When Obi-Wan walks it takes him a little under half an hour to get there. He doesn’t feel like walking today. 

Obi-Wan makes for their vehicle bay, where he spots one of their landspeeders. A sleek silver one that Anakin loved. Not his favorite, but close. Obi-Wan walks to the drivers side, about to get in when Anakin speaks.

“Can I drive today?” He asks, and Obi-Wan can feel his excitement at the prospect through their bond. Normally Obi-Wan might let him - but he can’t be late today.

“Not today, Anakin,” He says, smoothly getting into the driver's seat. Anakin pouts and jumps in beside him, as uneloquent as ever. 

“I promise I’ll get you to the city without any detours.” Anakin pleads softly, restraining himself from the full on beg that Obi-Wan can  _ feel  _ he wants to use.

“The detours are hardly the biggest problem. Last time you drove we crashed.” Obi-Wan reminds him, starting the speeder up - humming to life with a short splutter and a deep growl of the engines. Anakin crosses his arms and drops back into his seat, looking entirely put out. 

“I’ll consider letting you drive on the way back,” Obi-Wan tells him as he drives from their lot with practiced ease. Anakin instantly perks up beside him, their bond humming with excitement. Obi-Wan’s not sure why he want to drive him so badly. 

Anakin’s going to drive through town as soon as they get there. Maybe it's the prospect of being able to speed on the unrestricted straight shot road to the city. Maybe he wants to show off. Obi-Wan knows both are just as likely. They drive the rest of the way to town in silence, the only noise the hum of the speeder and the wind whipping around them. 

When they eventually get to the city Obi-Wan drives to a control tower, used for off-planet communications.  There doesn’t appear to be many people around, which Obi-Wan really should expect with how early it still is. Obi-Wan jumps out of the speeder and flips his hood up in the same motion, turning to Anakin.

“Be back here every two hours until I come out,” Obi-Wan tells him, and when Anakin raises an eyebrow and sends a question through their bond, Obi-Wan continues, “I want progress updates on your rounds. And you’d better not start anything. I don’t want to be cleaning up another mess like last week.”

“Yes, Master,” Anakin says as he slides over to the driver's seat, and Obi-Wan nods to him before turning and heading towards the doors. Behind him he can hear Anakin reve the engine and he sighs. 

_ He’s never ending trouble,  _ Obi-Wan thinks, pushing the doors open. The interior of the building looks akin to design on Coruscant - in fact, it is directly similar. Obi-Wan is pretty sure Sidious brought contractors here from there when he confirmed his rule over the planet years ago. There’s a young woman at the front desk and when she spots Obi-Wan she startles, badly, before frantically running over to greet him. 

“L-Lord Callidus!” She says, giving a small bow - which Obi-Wan finds  _ massively  _ unnecessary, raising an eyebrow at the gesture. “It’s a pleasure to see you again.”

“Yes, I’m sure,” Obi-Wan remarks dryly, his patience for the woman running thin. 

The times he'd been here before there'd been a different clerk - a large, stout man. He'd always been…  _ overly  _ attentive. Too quick to try and help with everything. It was frustrating, to say the least of it. Unfortunately he doesn't think she's going to be much different. Obi-Wan looks away from her to the lift across the room. It’ll bring him to the communications area.

“It’s been a very long time since you were here! We heard you were off planet for a month with your apprentice, hunting down - uh, Jedi scum!” She says the words frantically, like she’s trying to stay on Obi-Wan’s good side. 

She clearly isn’t used to talking this way, probably just discussing how long they’ll let you call your mother off-world for. Sometimes Obi-Wan might have indulged her, puffed her ego a little. But he’s got important business today, and isn’t in the mood. Just as he opens his mouth to speak, she cuts him off again.

“We’ve got your usual room up and running, as always, ready for you to use! I’m sure you’ve got very important business to deal with.” She rings her hands and Obi-Wan can feel anxiety rolling off her in waves. He squints, and presses into her mind a little. 

It’s not out of fear - not really, though there is a hint of it there. The anxiety is coming from -  _ wanting to impress him,  _ of all things. Obi-Wan rolls his eyes and waves his hand across her line of vision.

“You’re going to go back to your desk and leave me to my business.” Obi-Wan commands, and immediately the woman’s eyes go glossy and she gives a small nodd.    


“I’m going to go back to my desk and leave you to your business,” She parrots back, turning on her heel and walking to her desk without another word. 

A sly smile spreads across Obi-Wan’s face as he - finally - goes to the lift. Presses the six floor button and waits as it brings him up. As he steps into the hallway it's dimly lit, with dark grey walls and purplish lighting creating a sort of dramatically ambiance. 

Obi-Wan finds is over the top and fights to roll his eyes at the sight, making for his room. When he gets there there's a bio-lock on the door, and he presses his hand to it. Almost instantly the panel gives a confirming beep and the door slides open, revealing a darkly lit room before him. Stepping inside, the matching purple lights blink on, and Obi-Wan squints to make out the communications desk that he knows is seated in the middle of the room. 

He spots it, and makes his way to it slowly. With one touch to the frame it's blue lights blink on, blinding him momentarily. He grunts and blinks the white spots from his eyes. With practiced ease he inputs the signal and frequency to contact Sidious. There's a moment of nothing, silence, as the line connects before Sidious’ flickering blue tinted frame jumps up in front of him. 

“Callidus,” Sidious hisses, and he sounds annoyed - not a good sign. “I was beginning to suspect your demise.”

“I was caught offworld and unable to access any means of contacting you, my Lord.” Obi-Wan replies instantly. “The Jedi you sent us to cull were many more than we thought, and it took some time to find them all. Our communication devices were destroyed in a fight.” 

“Did you deal with them all?” Sidious hisses, voice crackling with anger. Something is upsetting him, but Obi-Wan can't tell if it's him or not. Best to tread carefully, either way.

“All were killed. There were only two 'sabers among them, which were disposed of after removing the kyber crystal, as instructed.” 

“Good. Very good. Give me your report, then, and leave nothing out.” 

“My apprentice and I departed and arrived on the third Revicc moon within three days. I interrogated locals, but initially found no trace of Jedi or Jedi propaganda. Some people didn't even know who the Jedi were - children though they were. It wasn't until the end of the week that we got our first lead. There seemed to be an outpost a few hours away. When we arrived we found several Jedi sympathisers, fledgling, and one somewhat competent Jedi. She managed to take out our comms, which she payed greatly for. 

“We killed all but the Jedi, whom I interrogated. I extracted that there was another outpost, a week away, with more of them holed up. They had been in the midst of moving hideouts, apparently. After disposing of the Jedi, Anakin and I traveled to the last outpost. Only half of the amount that was to be there were, and we spent the rest of the two weeks locating them. They were widely spread, but easy to take down once located.” Obi-Wan finished, and Sidious shifted on the screen, seeming to put his hand to his chin in thought. After a moment he spoke.

“This concerns me more than you would think. There have been increasing outcrops of…  _ sympathisers  _ as of late, have there not?” He asked and Obi-Wan frowned. Now that he thought about it, there were. A lot, actually. 

“Yes, my Lord.” He replies, and Sidious nods and hisses out a breath.

“I realize you only just returned yesterday, but I have an assignment for you.” Sidious tells him, and Obi-Wan winches. He'd hardly had any rest recently. “Go to the Naboo system and stomp out the  _ sympathizers  _ there before they arm themselves enough for a real fight.”

“Did we not station heavy guard on Naboo?” Obi-Wan raises an eyebrow. If he remembers correctly, which he does, they'd stationed many men to Naboo after it's less than easy take down. 

They'd even considered stationing Sith there, but unfortunately had decided against it as it seemed redundant with the heavy forces. Evidently, that’d not been enough.

“They are in need of assistance.” Sidious says, before leaning back. “Before I send you off however, there is much more to discuss. Tell me, how is dear Anakin coming along?” 

The way he says it makes Obi-Wan's skin crawl, but he tells him Anakin progress. Spares no detail. Thankfully it's something to be proud of. Anakin had come a long way with the Force in just a year of training. He could out power Obi-Wan in many aspects of using the Force, though at the moment only in blunt power. 

He had little control still, lacked tact and very much forethought. He may be able to outweigh Obi-Wan, but Obi-Wan still could very easily outsmart. Not to mention combat skills - Anakin wasn't bad, but he wasn't particularly great either. It was what he most lacked currently. 

He was too quick to anger, even for a Sith, and let his body get ahead of himself before he quite knew what to do. It lead him into many unwise positions during sparring. He was thankfully above average, however. With more practice he'd become better as well. 

As Obi-Wan tells Sidious, he feels Anakin check in every now and again - like instructed. No fights had broken out, there'd been little trouble doing his rounds. By the time Anakin came around for the final time Obi-Wan had just finished telling Sidious his report. 

“Very good,” Sidious laughs, the sound grating on Obi-Wan's ears. “Very,  _ very  _ good. He has much potential. Now, I fear I've kept you too long. Make for the Naboo system at once.”

“Of course, my Lord.” Obi-Wan inclines his head, and the screen flickers for a moment before powering off. 

The room is plunged once again into the dim eeriness of the purple light. Obi-Wan makes his way back to the elevator, and finally back down to the first floor of the building. As he walks through the lobby the clerk thankfully ignores him - unsurprising, considering what he’d done. 

Those he mind tricked very seldom came out of it before a fully day was up unless he wanted them to. Outside the sky is just starting to darken, and there’s a heavy shade cast on the street before him by the communications tower. 

Obi-Wan can sense Anakin nearby, and when he turns his head sure enough Anakin is propped up against a lamppost near the speeder. He looks bored, frustrated, his face pinched. But when he spots Obi-Wan his face lights up and he shifts, pulling of the post as Obi-Wan makes his way to him.   


“That took longer than you said it would,” Anakin says, first, but it’s not accusatory. It’s a question, though there are a few hints of frustration. 

Anakin doesn’t like waiting for things. Always so impatient. Obi-Wan nods to him and moves to the speeder, getting in the driver’s side as he speaks.   


“As suspected, I had to give a detailed report of the last mission and your progress. But we’ve been reassigned.” 

“Reassigned?”   


“We’re to head to Naboo and kill a growing revolt before it can do any damage.” Obi-Wan powers up the speeder and in a quick jerking motion spins it around, driving back towards their house. Anakin makes a noise, and Obi-Wan can feel the exhaustion coming off him in waves, even without their bond. 

“Was spending a month hunting down Jedi not good enough for him?” Anakin snarls, but it lacks his normal bite. Obi-Wan glances over at him, frowning. Anakin is leaning heavily against the seat and side of the speeder, his hair whipping wildly around his face from the wind. 

He’s backlit by the setting sun, making him almost glow golden and Obi-Wan finds the image particularly striking. Again he’s reminded of the capacity of beauty in his apprentice. His moment of appreciation is short lived, as he notices the tired, pinched expression on Anakin’s face. 

Perhaps his lack of sleep had been more affecting than Obi-Wan had previously thought. He may have to intervene instead of waiting for Anakin to come to him himself. Obi-Wan turns his gaze back to the road and files that information away for later.   


“Evidently not.” Obi-Wan replies calmly, and they lapse into silence the rest of the way back. The sun is fully set by the time Obi-Wan parks the speeder where it belongs, hopping out with a quick, fluid motion. Anakin is quick to follow, albeit less gracefully and more like a lumbering Wookiee. Obi-Wan inclines his head towards the house and foulds his arms in front of himself.

“Get our things. Meet me on the ship in twenty.”

“Which ship?” Anakin asks, walking backwards towards the house so he can shoot Obi-Wan a cheeky smirk. Clearly his exhaustion hasn’t managed to rid him of his carefree snark or his ever present excitement for space travel and the ships therein. 

Obi-Wan turned, glancing over the ships he could see before landing on one in particular. It was a fairly new ship - outfitted with heavy artillery but sleek and thin bodied for speed. Large enough for one room sleeping quarters and a medbay, but not much larger. 

It’s body was a sleek silver with black and grey accents, it also had the benefit of being aesthetically pleasing. He’d initially gotten the ship for Anakin - who tended to heavily beat up his less speed-centric ships when flying them. Obi-Wan turned back to Anakin and smiled.   


“Why not cristen the  _ N-4 Potestem?  _ You’ve been itching to fly it since we got it.” Obi-Wan suggests, and immediately Anakin’s face lights up and Obi-Wan feels his excitement trickle in through their bond.

Anakin nods his head quick, before turning around and bolting into the house like his back was on fire. Obi-Wan stood there for another moment before turning on his heel and making his way to the  _ Potestem.  _ The ramp dropped down when he got close enough, giving a hiss as it depressurized. When he stepped inside the lights flickered to life, bright white and sterile. It almost washed out the light bluish-grey interior, and Obi-Wan glanced around. 

He never really was a fan of overly bright lights, always seemed… too much. Beyond that, though, the ship was even more aesthetically pleasing on the inside. The floor was a dark, almost black, grey with lighter grey dashes down the middle of the walkway.  As he walked he admired it, until he came to the cockpit. It matched the rest of the ship, with two pilot seats - one for the main and the co-pilot. 

His eyes caught sight of a droid, powered down and tucked into a small alcove in the wall of the ship. It’s colors were light blue and dark grey, to match the ship, and it looked no more than a maintenance droid. 

Obi-Wan shifted, turning, as he heard the noticeable stomp of Anakin stampeding up the ramp and into the ship. Anakin found where he was through their bond, coming into the cockpit a little breathlessly. He had their bags thrown over his shoulder.    


“Go put those in the sleeping quarters,” Obi-Wan says before Anakin can say anything. “I’ll get us out of atmosphere, then I want you sleeping.”   


“What? I thought-” Anakin starts, disappointment written on his face clear as day, his shoulders sagging.   


“You can fly when you wake up. You’re clearly not rested enough, and it’ll take us two days at top speed to reach Naboo - you’ll have plenty of time to fly.” Obi-Wan moved forwards until he was directly in front of Anakin, lifting a hand slowly. 

He gently took Anakin’s face in hand, cupping his cheek and turning his head down. He made a show of inspecting Anakin’s face, like he was only just now noticing the dark bags under his eyes. 

Like he hadn’t been keeping careful track of how many times Anakin woke in the other room, with a shout or a loud thump. How many times Obi-Wan had been woken himself with a sharp pull of fear from Anakin in their bond. 

Anakin had shut down all attempts to talk about it, so Obi-Wan would settle for helping him this way - even if he has an itching curiosity to know what Anakin was dreaming about. A mix of interest and sympathy fueled it, an odd combination. 

Anakin stood there and let him hold his face, silently, not trying to move away. Obi-Wan noticed a light blush start to form under his skin, and he took quick note of it before letting his hand slip slack, curling around his neck, just under Anakin’s ear.    


“You look dreadful, my dear.” Obi-Wan says, voice dropping and going gentle. Anakin’s face shifts from disappointment to tired and resigned in an instant. Finally he’d taken down his facade. Being gentle always managed to achieve some for of a wanted outcome when it came to Anakin being unnecessarily stubborn. Though other times harshness was needed. “We both know you sleep better when we’re flying. Rest up, the ship will be here for you to fly when you wake.”   


“Yes, Master,” Anakin says finally, sighing in defeat. Obi-Wan offers him a soft smile before removing his hand from him, walking back towards the pilot’s seat. He can feel Anakin standing there still, silently, for another moment before he finally turns around and leaves the room. 

Obi-Wan takes his seat in the pilot’s chair, smiling when the ship immediately hums to life in response - barely any second of processing. With practiced ease Obi-Wan inputs the coordinates for Naboo, and brings the ship up into the air. 

He isn’t expecting the sheer, raw  _ force  _ in the ships engines though and the ship jolts forwards sharply before he manages to get a hold on it. There’s a question through the bond from Anakin, and Obi-Wan responds with a reassuring answer.    


“I hate flying,” Obi-Wan mutters to himself, out loud, and again he feels Anakin tug on the bond - this time with amusement and Obi-Wan rolls his eyes and sends back a simple instruction,  _ go to sleep.  _

He can almost perfectly envision the face Anakin makes - his mouth twists up in a pout, his brows furrow and he huffs out a breath in frustration. Predictable, though, not in a bad way. 

Obi-Wan leans back in the seat and settles in for a long ride.


	4. Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anakin dreams, Obi-Wan plots, someone new arrives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haven't updated in a while. All I can say abt that is: depression, man
> 
> On a side note, I now have both a playlist and some art for this fic which u can find here-
> 
> Playlist (best listened to in order): https://open.spotify.com/user/dirkygoodness/playlist/4cE6FX4amS5TT2mlrWdPQS?si=enQ7OGEoStu1do8k8E7JKA
> 
> Art: https://dirkysshitdraws.tumblr.com/post/177638362154/sith-obi-wan-and-anakin-designs-for-my-fanfic  
> https://dirkysshitdraws.tumblr.com/post/180837176724/sith-obikin-from-my-fic-perdita

They’re no more than a few hours into space when Obi-Wan feels something. It starts like something sour spreading through their bond, just barely enough for Obi-Wan to notice it. 

As soon as he does he frowns and pulls his attention away from the ship - which is already in autopilot, locked into the coordinates he’d put in. The harder he focuses on the feeling, the worse it gets, until he can easily recognize what it is - fear. 

Muddled  fear, though. Anakin’s dreaming again. Obi-Wan sits there for a moment, just letting Anakin’s feelings seep in through their bond as he considers if he should wake Anakin, ask him about the dream. Even  if he does ask about it, there’s no guarantee he can get Anakin to tell him the truth. 

A sharp jolt from the bond makes the decision for him, though, and Obi-Wan stands and makes his way back towards the sleeping quarters. The closer he gets, the worse the fear seems to grow in the bond until Obi-Wan has to force his shields closed against it, wincing as the last bit of Anakin’s emotions die off on his end. 

The door to the sleeping quarters gives a hiss as it opens, and he steps inside the dark room. Dim floor lights flicker on as he does, no doubt motion activated. 

Anakin is lying on a cot at the farthest end of the room, tucked into a side corner. He’s lying on his side, curled up slightly into himself, and his face is pinched in a pained expression. As Obi-Wan takes a step closer Anakin lets out a quiet, near-unnoticeable pained noise and presses his face down into the pillow under his head.

He’s nearly thrown his blanket onto the floor, the cloth tangled around his legs most likely the only thing keeping it on the bed. Obi-Wan comes to a stop, standing beside the cot, and he slowly kneels down next to it.

Instead of waking Anakin up right away, though, Obi-Wan just sits there and watches. Obi-Wan knows Anakin is scared - could feel his fear in their bond. But his expression looks more hurt and pained than frightened. He wonders what Anakin is dreaming about. 

Something from his past, perhaps? An old slaver, maybe. Or something more recent? Obi-Wan knows that Anakin doesn’t have any guilt over what they’ve done together, the Jedi they’ve killed. Still though, that doesn’t mean he  _ couldn’t  _ have dreams about it. 

A life of violence and death caused scars, both visible and not. With another hurt noise from Anakin Obi-Wan finally reaches his hand out and puts it on Anakin’s shoulder, shaking him.

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan says, voice hard and loud in the small room. “Anakin, wake up.” 

The few times he’d woken Anakin during a nightmare before had always gone the same way - so when Anakin jolts bolt upright on the cot, eyes burning yellow, Obi-Wan’s prepared for it. 

Anakin uses the motion of sitting up, the momentum, to push himself into an attack towards Obi-Wan. It’s sloppy, Obi-Wan could have read it coming from a mile away - but he knows that it holds the full force of Anakin’s strength behind it from the first time he’d woken him and gotten a hit to the jaw. 

Obi-Wan uses his own arm to force Anakin’s attack clear of him, locking their wrists together and pushing so Anakin only hits air. Usually that’s it. Obi-Wan deflects, Anakin blinks to full alertness. 

Today, though, Anakin apparently has some more fight in him and he uses his other hand to try and land an uppercut on Obi-Wan. He almost manages it too, Obi-Wan having not been expecting it. He lets out a growl as he just barely manages to jerk back out of the way of Anakin’s metal fist.

Obi-Wan lets the arm he’s got locked on Anakin’s own slip down, clasping his hand around his wrist to effectively lock him into place. He grabs Anakin’s other wrist as well, pulling them up together so he can hold them in one hand. As soon as he does though, Anakin snaps his head forwards and tries to headbutt him. 

Obi-Wan’s only able to slide to the left enough to keep Anakin from hitting him on his head, Anakin’s head colliding with bruising force against his shoulder. Obi-Wan opens his shields up a touch, trying to get a read on his apprentice. Immediately he’s met with a near feral mindset from Anakin. 

He’s not really in control of himself - the emotions from the dream having bled over so severely that all Anakin is feeling right now is a mixture of fear and anger that effectively is causing him to go into a violent frenzy. 

Obi-Wan should have woken him sooner, and he internally chastises himself. Obi-Wan attempts to use the leverage he’s got on Anakin’s arms to try and push him away, but then he feels Anakin’s teeth sink into his shoulder.

_ “Fuck!’  _ Obi-Wan shouts, pain spreading sharp and hot across his shoulder. 

His patience has worn thin and with a growl Obi-Wan brings his free hand around behind Anakin’s head and grabs his hair, jerking him back violently. Anakin lets out a growl of his own and kicks his legs - but they’re tangled up so badly in the blanket he’s not able to pull them loose. 

So Obi-Wan ignores it and brings one hand down around Anakin’s neck, the other pinning his arms above his head, and in the same movement stands so he’s leaning over him and forces him down against the bed.

Anakin thrashes for a moment, eyes flicking around the room wildly - not seeing Obi-Wan or the room itself. The possibility that he was still in his dream now apparent, and causes Obi-Wan to pause for a moment. 

He was going to have for drag Anakin out of his own mind, it would seem. So Obi-Wan forces his presence through their bond to Anakin’s mind.

_ “Anakin!”  _ Obi-Wan shouts, both in Anakin’s own head and out loud, and instantly he jerks then stills. 

Anakin blinks a few times, and finally his eyes revert to their natural blue and they focus on Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan’s still rigid with anger and annoyance, but when he speaks it’s calm and gentle - which is somewhat of a feat to pull off at that moment.

“There we are.” He says, but doesn’t ease up on his hold. He does, however, retreat from Anakin’s mind - more out of keeping from spooking Anakin than actually wanting to. 

“Good boy.” 

“Wh-?” Is the first thing Anakin says - croaked out hoarse under the hold Obi-Wan still has on his throat, looking around as he tries to figure out what’s going on. 

Obi-Wan stands there patiently as Anakin pieces together what’s going on. Finally when he looks back up at Obi-Wan his expression is a mix of realization and guilt. Only then does Obi-Wan let him go, standing back up and stretching his back as he does.

Anakin doesn’t move but Obi-Wan can feel him considering shutting his shields through their bond as the first tricklings of embarrassment and shame start to well up in him.

“Another nightmare,” Obi-Wan says matter of factly, adjusting his tunic by pulling on the cuffs. 

Anakin sucks in a sharp inhale and shifts, propping himself up on his elbows. He doesn't move anymore after that, though, and Obi-Wan only waits a minute before he sits down on the edge of the cot beside Anakin. 

“What was it about?” Obi-Wan asks softly, not turning to look back at Anakin. As soon as he says it Anakin's shields slam down, going rigid beside him. 

“I don't want to talk about it.”

“Anakin, it's affecting more than just you now.” Obi-Wan says sternly, tilting his head towards Anakin. “I understand that it's hard to discuss, but I need to know. I can't help otherwise.”

Obi-Wan is aiming for firm persuasiveness. He needed Anakin to understand the weight of importance on sharing this, while still being open enough to have Anakin actually want to talk to him. 

He’d learned the hard way what Anakin was like when Obi-Wan was stern in the wrong ways at the wrong time. Thankfully though, he doesn’t have a repeat of that, as Anakin finally lets out a defeated huff of breath and turns his head away.

“...Sometimes it's my mom.” Anakin starts quietly, voice just above a whisper. And, it’s not what Obi-Wan was expecting. 

Obi-Wan can count the times they’d talked about his mother on one hand alone, and even then it’d been vague enough that Obi-Wan doesn’t even know Anakin’s mother’s name.

“Other times it's one of the slave owners. It usually flip flops between the two, has for years…” 

The  _ but  _ hangs in the air like a bomb ready to fall. They lapse into silence but the longer they sit there the closer to the other shoe drop they get, until finally Ankin looks a cross between embarrassed and horrified with himself and squeezes his eyes shut, speaking again.

“Recently it's… I see myself kill you.” He says, fast, and Obi-Wan is left blinking in surprise. 

It’s… definitely  _ not  _ what he was expecting. Though, it’s not like Obi-Wan had actually been expecting much either way. He’s surprised, to say the least. 

“Like I'm watching someone else do it, but it's  _ me. I’m  _ always killing you,” Anakin’s brow pinches and for a moment Obi-Wan sees an expression he’s never seen before on Anakin. 

True, raw fear.

“Over and over again. And it's a good thing, in the dream. I never know why but it feels right and satisfying and it makes me sick. It all feels just...  _ so real.” _

“Do you  _ want  _ to kill me, apprentice?” Obi-Wan already knows the answer, from Anakin’s voice and posture alone, but he asks anyway.

In part just because he wants to know what Anakin will say, but mostly to bridge way into calming Anakin.

_ “Force,  _ no! Never!” Is his instant response, and he looks as disgusted at the idea as he sounds. 

“Then it's just a nightmare, Anakin.” Obi-Wan tells him softly, tipping his head down to catch Anakin’s eye - but as soon as he does 

Anakin grunts and stands, grabbing his hair and pulling. From the way his face scrunches, it hurts.

“It doesn't feel like  _ just _ a nightmare, Obi-Wan! I used to have dreams before my mother died. About it, her death. I thought they were just nightmares but then Wa- then one of my past owners told me she'd died. Exactly as my dreams. It'd felt this real then, too, and I - what if I’m going to end up killing you? Why -  _ why  _ would I ever-” 

“Anakin.” Obi-Wan cuts him off, grabbing him by the waist to stop him from the pace Obi-Wan can see itching at Anakin’s feet. 

He pulls him back to the cot, Anakin sitting down but not removing his hands from his hair. One step at a time, at least. He does his best to steady himself but the information that Anakin might have had premonitions of his mother’s death is… as unsettling as it is fascinating. 

It does, however, bode the question - if Anakin  _ did _ have a premonition of his mother's death that came true, does that mean Obi-Wan is to die by Anakin’s hands? 

The implication is unnerving, but he steels himself and locks his visible emotions away so he doesn’t startle Anakin. He’s already riled up enough as it was.

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan repeats, letting a hand rest against Anakin’s back, between his shoulder blades. “By all likelihood, what happened with your mother was just a coincidence.” 

_ Not really, but if it made Anakin feel better… _

“But to humor it, even if your dreams were true, you have no interest in killing me, and seeing as in your dream you took pleasure in it that’d be needed. So if you ever feel like you want to kill me, then we'll have a problem. Otherwise, I wouldn't worry.” Obi-Wan keeps his voice soft, and with his free hand gently removes Anakin’s hands from his hair. Anakin still looks upset, but for the moment he’s placated. 

“Not to mention, I could easily beat you in a battle.” Obi-Wan jokes, cracking a slight smirk as he says it. Anakin stiffens under him and turns his head up, cocking an eyebrow.

“I’ve beaten you before,” Anakin says, voice stuck between indignant and amused, and Obi-Wan looks up at the ceiling with a hum.   


“Hmm, yes, once - only because I happened to slip on black ice. In head to head combat if I were going all out, you wouldn’t stand a chance, apprentice.” Obi-Wan looks back down at Anakin out the corner of his eye, just in time to see him puff up and scoff.

“I could take you!” He says, and Obi-Wan lets the grin that’s been trying to surface rise fully onto his face now.

“Your confidence is precious, yet entirely too naive, Anakin.” He says, now fully facing Anakin again, their eyes locking. 

He lets his eyes shift to a burning yellow and with as much, albeit amused, stone he can muster into his voice says, “I could utterly destroy you and still have time for tea afterwards.”

Anakin’s eyes widen in response, a reaction Obi-Wan was expecting. However, something downright heady crosses his face for a split second, Anakin sucking in a sharp breath as he refuses to break eye contact. 

Just as it rises, though, it’s gone, and Anakin huffs and turns away. Obi-Wan’s eyes narrow and he files this new reaction away for later when he can really pick it apart. For now, he just stands with a chuckle.

“Now, why don’t you head to the bridge and take over helm like you’ve been so eager to, hmm? I could use the break.” Obi-Wan says. 

He doesn’t need the break, nor does he particularly want it, but giving Anakin something to do will be good for him. Help take his mind off his dream - or, whatever it was. 

Sure enough, as soon as the words are out of his mouth Anakin jumps up to his feet, a grin spreading across his face. He hesitates for only a second longer before all but running towards the bridge, the door closing with a hiss behind him. 

Obi-Wan rolls his eyes and snorts - Anakin is very predictable. Well, most of the time. Apparently he still was able to surprise Obi-Wan every now and again. 

_ Premonitions, hmm?  _ Obi-Wan thought, rubbing his chin absently as he began to pace.  _ With how strong Anakin is I shouldn’t have been surprised by it, but nevertheless I wasn’t expecting it.  _

_ At least, if that  _ is  _ what this is. It could still be coincidence but - better to consider it so not to be surprised again.  _

Obi-Wan is jolted out of his thoughts as Anakin’s own mind gently presses against his own. 

_ ‘Anakin?’  _ Obi-Wan asks wordlessly, and instantly Anakin responds.

_ ‘There’s a ship ahead of us, you may want to get up here.’  _ Obi-Wan clenches his jaw, moving swiftly in the direction of the helm and Anakin.

It doesn’t take him long to get there, the ship not actually being all that large. When he does Anakin turns around in his chair and gives him a look before speaking.

“They look like a cargo vessel but, for starters, they’re far too close to restricted space.” Anakin says, turning back around. 

“Not to mention, something doesn’t feel right.”   


“Oh? Do you have a bad feeling about this ship, darling?” Obi-Wan starts, aiming for a little bit of humor but he pauses before he can finish. 

Now that Anakin mentions it, something  _ does  _ feel off in the Force around this ship. Something a little too  _ light  _ for Obi-Wan’s liking.

“Contact them, see if they answer.” Obi-Wan instructs, coming around to sit in the adjacent seat to Anakin. 

Anakin, in turn, nods and does as he’s told. There’s a tense moment that passes before there’s a beep and the holographic imager before them comes to life and displays the crew of the opposite ship. 

There’s two humans and a robot in the image, which instantly causes Obi-Wan to raise an eyebrow. The image is too filled with static to make out clearly what they look like.

“Greetings, cargo ship,” Obi-Wan starts smoothly, smile spreading on his face as his falsified diplomacy rises. 

The boy, clearly not the captain, looks nervous now and glances at the woman - who stands in the middle of them. She has an aura of authority about her, something that seems off. Obi-Wan can’t seem to put a finger on what, exactly, but he narrows in on her instantly. 

“You’re a little too close to restricted space,” Obi-Wan says - and they are. This ship is far too close to his planet than  _ any  _ cargo ship should be. “Would you mind telling us why you’re here?” 

“Navigational error,” The woman says, emotionless, but her face hardens instantly. “As bad of an excuse as it is, our sensors are malfunctioning. We were in the process of fixing them when you arrived.” 

“Oh?” Obi-Wan hums, smiling. “How unfortunate. Please, allow us to assist in repairs and accompany you back into useable space.”

“Not necessary, we can handle it on our own just fine.” The boy says, voice sharp and bitter - much easier to read emotion from. Obi-Wan’s smile grows as his distrust does.

“Please,” Obi-Wan starts, “I insist.” He lets a little bit of venom drip into his words, making his point abundantly clear. 

“Very well,” The woman says, “any assistance is welcomed.”   


“But Pa-” The boy starts, but she cuts him off with a sharp look.

“Please, come aboard.” 

“Gladly,” Obi-Wan says, and the transmission ends shortly after he speaks.

Without another word, Obi-Wan motions to Anakin to begin docking with the other ship. Anakin does so quietly, pulling into position next to the other ship. 

They jolt as they attach, the ship giving a shuttering hum. Beside him Anakin shifts, and Obi-Wan glances at him.

“This feels like a trap.” Anakin says, and stands in sync with Obi-Wan as he rises, his brow furrowing. “Are you sure we should go over there? We don’t know how many crewmen they have.”   


“Perhaps, but this doesn’t feel like a trap to me. More like a couple of children caught with their hands in a cookie jar.” Obi-Wan once again rubs his chin in thought, staring off across the room. He stands there for a little long, perhaps, because Anakin grabs his elbow and startles him.   


“Master?” He asks, somewhere between soft  and confused. He's probably worried, has every right to be - there's something fishy about this.

The ship, and their crew - and it's less than likely a coincidence that they're too close to his planet right as they're leaving on another mission.

Perhaps this was a simple accident, or  perhaps it's the rebels trying to make another attempt at 'hurting’ them. All the good that'll do them.   


“Come, Anakin. Let’s see what they’re hiding.” Obi-Wan says sharply, making his way towards the docking bay.

Anakin doesn't immediately follow, but after a moment he hears Anakin's step fall behind his own. If he were not in a rush, he may have stopped to see why Anakin had hesitated. 

Once in the docking bay Anakin presses the door release button and it gives a screeching hiss as it pulls open. When the doors have finished opening Obi-Wan steps inside, Anakin close behind him, and he slowly rounds a corner into the other ship. 

There is another door that slides open with a hiss as they come to it, revealing the three people Obi-Wan had spoken with. Now, though, he's able to clearly see them. 

The boy is short and covered in grease and oil. His hair is a dusty brown, eyes sharply green and watching Obi-Wan intensely. Physically though, he looks like Obi-Wan could throw him across the room without the force and not even be phased. Entirely underwhelming. 

The droid, equally, is uninteresting. They're an older model that he recognizes was built for labor. It makes sense considering the ship they're on. 

The woman, however, is different.

She is clean, _too clean_ , in a stock white tunic and trousers. Her dark brown hair is pulled up into a tight bun at the back of her head. She wears simple, but well maintained makeup. For a supposed captain of a cargo ship, she's far too well put together. There's not an inch of dirt to be seen on her.

If that alone wasn't enough to cue Obi-Wan in that something was off about her, the way she holds herself does it. Her back is stock straight, her arms folded in front of her daintily. She looks like royalty.

It makes Obi-Wan's eyes narrow as he notices, but he chooses not to mention it. Instead keeping it at the back of his mind to mull over later, at length.

“Well, hello,” Obi-Wan purrs, a smile slipping across his face smoothly. “It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Callidus, and this-” He gestures to Anakin. “-Is Validus. We're happy to assist any way that we can.” 

When he says their names the woman's eyes light up in recognition immediately. It's clear she knows who they are, and that fact makes Obi-Wan smile wider. Obi-Wan knows his reputation - knows the stories of Callidus and Validus, their kills, their  _ ruthlessness.  _

This should put her further on edge now, which, while amusing, serves to make it easier for him to read her thoughts. To her credit, though, beyond the initial emotion her eyes conveyed she manages to keep her composure fairly well. 

Pity. It would have been more fun to watch her visibly squirm.

“Nice to meet you. My name's Sabé, and these are my crewmen.” She, Sabé, says, giving him her own soft smile. It is deceptively innocent. 

Obi-Wan's eyes narrow as he hears her name, his own flash of recognition surely betrayed in his face. He knows the names from around this part of space, knows what's common and not. 

This name, is most certainly  _ not  _ one of them. Though, he does have a good idea where it  _ does  _ originate from.

“Sabé? Interesting name, not used around this part of space. Are you perhaps from Naboo?” He asks, as innocently as he can, and is rewarded with a momentary flash of panic across her face. 

Then he was right, it would seem - as usual. It couldn't be coincidence, either, her being from Naboo. Perhaps word of their departure got around already. Obi-Wan files the information away with everything else he's learning about her. 

He's slowly getting the puzzle pieces together and forming her image in his mind. Soon he should be able to tell who she is, and what, exactly, her intentions are. Sabé ducks her head, nodding in agreement, trying futely to mask her fear.

Fear of being found out. But what is there to find out? Obi-Wan's not sure, but he loves a challenge.

“Yes, you have a keen ear. I'm from Naboo, though I have not been there in years. Work took me away from it.” She keeps her eyes downwards, looking meek. 

Obi-Wan cocks his head, trying to discern if she's genuinely shy or playing the part to appear weaker. He's leaning towards the latter.

If so, it's always fun for him to come across another manipulator - even one as  _ bad  _ as she. Beside him Anakin shifts and Obi-Wan feels his presence press against his mind. 

_ ‘This cannot be coincidence, Master.’  _ Anakin says, distrust bleeding through the bond. It makes Obi-Wan smile. He's glad he taught Anakin well enough for him to catch onto this. 

_ ‘No, my dear, I dare say that I don’t think it is.’  _ Obi-Wan responds to Anakin with mirth, but out loud he says, “Why don't you show us to your navigational array. Validus here is quite good with ships. He should have your systems up and running in no time at all.” 

“Of course, A-13 will show you to it.” Sabé says, gesturing to the droid to her left side. In turn, A-13 nods to Anakin and begins to walk away.

“This way.” They says, voice sharp yet dark and static filled.

A-13 is an older model, after all. It's not surprising it's maintenance is running low. Especially for a 'cargo’ ship. At least some part of their ruse is believable. 

Anakin follows wordlessly, giving Obi-Wan a goodbye through their bond as he goes - which Obi-Wan acknowledges. Once he's out of sight Obi-Wan turns back to Sabé, smiling deceptively soft. Best to not cue her into how much he's already figured out about her.

“What, may I ask, brings you out here?” Obi-Wan questions, and with no warning presses against her mind with his own. 

Not too hard, nothing noticeable to anyone untrained, just enough to see her intent. On the surface he sees she is composed, though just under it she is stressed. Worried.  _ Uneasy. _

“We've got a deal to move a pretty hefty amount of ore. And with you helping us, we should be able to get back onto schedule in no time.” Sabé answers and Obi-Wan can instantly tell she's lying through her teeth now that he can feel her mind.

Lying well, but lying nonetheless. It intrigues him - and fuels the suspicion that she's working for the rebels if she is choosing to lie to Obi-Wan, of all people.

“It's of course nothing to fret over, were just glad to have been able to help.” Obi-Wan says, and presses farther into her mind as he does. 

He expects little resistance, considering what he's been able to gather about her, but is surprised to find a wall, if you will. A mental wall, cutting him off from her deeper thoughts. 

If he were to press, she'd know he was prying instantly. The shields is sturdy - almost as strong as something he might have made.  _ Almost _ . 

It doesn't appear to be originating from her, either. Someone  _ put  _ this shield in her mind for her. She clearly knows something important for someone to have gone this far to protect her mind, her  _ thoughts _ . 

Obi-Wan squints, focusing his attention more on her now. She could be harboring dangerous knowledge of the Empire that she is perhaps bringing to her people. 

Or she could have rebel bases memorized. Either way, not a good situation. Obi-Wan needs to tread lightly.

“May I ask where you're heading? Perhaps we could assist you back.” Obi-Wan offers, cocking his head. “Wouldn't want another navigational accident to occur.” Sabé swallows hard and glances down to the boy beside her, before looking to Obi-Wan. She looks visibly worried, now.

“Actually, to Naboo. It's quite a ways from here and I wouldn't want to put you off like that.” Her voice, unlike her face and mind, is calm and collected. She's a good speaker, at least.

“Oh, really? Then it'd be no trouble at all. We, too, are headed that way. We could escort you. Ensure your safety.” Obi-Wan laughs softly, taking a step closer to her. Instantly she tenses, discomfort bleeding off her in waves. Obi-Wan revils in her unease. 

“We're on a time limit, we don't want to force you to rush with us.” The boy interjects, and Obi-Wan, without looking from Sabé, laughs again. They  _ really  _ don't want Obi-Wan following them. That just makes him want to more.

“Oh, no worries. Our ship is built for speed. It's no trouble.” 

“Really, you don't have-” Sabé tries, but Obi-Wan quickly cuts her off.

“No, please. I  _ insist. _ ” As soon as he says it he feels Anakin’s presence approaching. 

And sure enough, a moment later and Anakin rounds the corner with A-13. He nods to Obi-Wan when he sees him, and Obi-Wan takes a step away from Sabé when he does. He doesn't miss the relieved breath she releases, either. 

“All finished. There wasn't much wrong, just a few things out of alignment.” Anakin informs them, coming to stand beside Obi-Wan. 

_ ‘Someone purposefully tampered with the navigational array.’  _ He says to Obi-Wan, privately. _ ‘It wasn't damaged, just slightly disassembled. Like someone was desperately trying to make it  _ look  _ broken without actually breaking anything.’  _ Anakin tells him, and Obi-Wan sends back acknowledgement.  _ Very  _ interesting.

“A-13, Callidus has offered to chaperone us back to Naboo. Be sure to adjust speed to match.” Sabé tells the droid dryly, barely masking her disdain. 

The droid stands there motionless. Obi-Wan's never liked droids - can't read their minds not can he ever tell who they're working for. People are so much more  _ useful.  _

“Thank you.” A-13 says after a long, quiet moment. Obi-Wan inclines his head, before turning slightly away from them.

“We'll get back on our ship so that we can be on our way. Wouldn't want to waste any more of your time.” Obi-Wan bows his head, folding his arms before himself. 

Sabé nods in acknowledgement, and Obi-Wan turns back to the ship. Anakin follows quickly at his heel, though he glances back at the others as they leave. 

He's no doubt glaring. Once they're finally back onboard and the docking bay doors have closed behind them Obi-Wan stops and turns to Anakin.

“She was lying, they're definitely not a cargo crew.” Obi-Wan says, rubbing his beard. “Someone was shielding her mind, she knows something. Perhaps something important. And the fact that they're headed to Naboo while they're in the middle of a revolt is telling. There's little doubt they're part of the rebellion.”

“We should attack them now, before they can talk to their allies.” Anakin hisses, shifting his weight like he was going to go back through the door. Obi-Wan stops him with a hand to his chest, shaking his head.

“No. I suspect they may just be a ferry for weapons or food. If we leave them be they could lead us back to the higher ups. We could quash this revolt in a little more time than it takes us to get there. We shall wait.” Obi-Wan hums, slipping his hand over to Anakin’s bicep, pulling him back toward the cockpit with him. Anakin is practically buzzing with energy.

“It's a long trip to Naboo, my brash apprentice. We don't want to come off... too strongly. You'll have plenty of time for that once we arrive.” He says, and Anakin huffs and turns his head away as they walk.

“I understand, Master.” He yields, though Obi-Wan can tell he's not happy about it. 

For his posture alone, not to mention he can feel Anakin’s restless tension and disagreement through the force.

“You understand but you don't agree.” Obi-Wan states, deciding to press the subject this time. 

Normally he'd have let Anakin be, as he'd agreed - even if he hadn't like it. But today Anakin had been more open about his nightmares than he'd ever been. Perhaps this could be telling, if he's still feeling like sharing.

“No, not disagree.” Anakin responds, and Obi-Wan hums.

“Then you want to fight. Bloody your blade.” Obi-Wan remarks, and Anakin nods in agreement. It makes him laugh softly. 

“Don't worry, Anakin. There will be plenty of time for that. We are going to a planet in the brink of war, after all.”

 


End file.
